


Goodnight, Felicity

by AKBruce



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Historical, F/M, Forbidden Love, Gangs, No Lian Yu, Olicity endgame, Oliver Queen isn't The Green Arrow, Slow Burn, Slurs, kind of because its in the 1950s, split POV
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-04-03 19:48:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 51,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14003382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKBruce/pseuds/AKBruce
Summary: Oliver Queen's life has been going just straight. He's got a nice dolly on his arm, and is in a wealthy high-class family, which is just enough for a young high school student like him living in the 1950s. Or so he thought, until a new girl arrives in town, and Oliver becomes full on snowed with the girl while learning that a bigger evil may be at source against some of the lower classes in Starling City, maybe even within those he thought closest to him. What would his family think of him falling for a girl of the wrong class, and what will it take for him to resolve this bigger evil? My take on a 1950s Olicity AU that no one asked for.





	1. Pledging my Love

**Author's Note:**

> Halo everyone! So excited to be sharing this new fic. Always wanted to write an Olicity fic, but never had a prompt, until this came to me randomly. I really hope everyone likes it. Now, since I was not living in the 1950s, I am no expert, thought I did listen to '50s music only for like two weeks to get in the mood for this fic, so If I've got something terribly wrong, don't be afraid to let me know. As always, I adore everyone's comments and kudos. Now, no more me rambling. Please enjoy and hold tight, this one is going to be a long one.

**1: Pledging my Love**

_Forever my darling our love will be true_

_Always and forever I'll love only you_

_Just promise me darling your love in return_

_May this fire in my soul dear forever burn **  
**_

“Speedy, I really couldn’t care less,” Oliver stated, shoving Thea out of the bathroom, quickly grabbing up his hair gel and pumping some onto his comb.

“Oliver, this is a big day, I need to look nice. Besides, you’re already late!” Thea exclaimed, and Oliver almost rolled his eyes, combing the gel through his hair, styling it in the direction all his friends said was the fashion now-a-days. He glanced to the clock, Thea’s statement of him being late confirmed. Crap, Laurel was gonna be pissed.

“Did you not hear me the first time? Don’t care,” Oliver repeated, moving from his hair to his clothes, smoothing out any wrinkles and adjusting his pants. “Besides, it’s not like this is the only bathroom in the house.”

Thea fake pouted and this time Oliver did roll his eyes, strolling out of the bathroom, feeling at least moderately nice looking for the day.

“I’m leaving!” Oliver hollered to his mom before grabbing the keys to his car plus his school bag and walking out to his Pontiac Chieftain Catalina Coupe, firing up the engine a few times to assure it would work before heading out onto the street. The car had been a late birthday gift, and he seemed that much cooler because of it.

Halfway to the school he pulled into Laurel’s driveway, where the girl was waiting for him to get her on the front porch of her well-sized house, her hair tightly done up in the fashion like a tightly woven birds nest atop her head, her poodle skirt flaring out around her, everything about her screaming high class modern fashion.  

“You’re late,” she simply stated as she stepped into the car, closing the door a little too harshly for Oliver’s liking behind her. She seemed to have no respect for his new baby. Oliver sighed, pulling out of her driveway and heading towards the school once more, not in the mood to argue with her.

“Ya read the papers this morning?” Laurel asked, Oliver shrugging in response. He tried to avoid reading whenever he could, and he woke up so late in the morning that he only ever had time to get ready. “Well, aside from your utter ignorance to modern culture, they were hyping up the worlds trades fair, and how it’s gunna be in Starling this year.  I was thinking we could go! It was in Naples, Italy last year, ya remember that?” Oliver nodded in response. Was this really what girls interested themselves in, or was it just soc girls like Laurel?

Oliver sighed to himself. Who was he to judge? Both the Queen’s and the Lance’s were two of the most rich anti-frantic families in Starling. Oliver was just so tired of being expected to go to things like the World's fair. He’d much rather be home, adjusting his car, or out on a jog of some sort. How could people care about stuff like that when just fourish years ago many people from all over Starling were drafted to go fight in Korea? People should be readying themselves for the worst, not going to some fair.

“Sounds like it could be fun,” Oliver replied with a forced amount of enthusiasm, Laurel falling for it. Finally, the two reached the school, Oliver parking the car, Laurel jumping out immediately, coming over to the other side and looping her arm through Oliver’s just after he got out of the car, looking her over once before turning away, locking the doors.

“Shall we enter the corral?” Laurel asked, and Oliver pulled his bag around the shoulder of the arm Laurel wasn’t on, walking towards the front of the school.

Just before they hit the front of the school, Oliver’s best friend, Tommy Merlyn came up on the other side of Oliver, that goofy grin of his wide along his face.

“Why if it ain’t Oliver Queen,” Tommy said in greeting, and Oliver nodded back to him. Laurel waved hi to Tommy, and the boy nodded politely back. With that, the three, most civilized, most bread owning, students at Starling high school entered the building.

\-->\--><\--<\--

“Bit of a boring day, no?” Laurel asked Oliver as she placed her lunch tray down next to his, her makeup obviously refreshed, her updo so tight Oliver almost cringed at how much it must hurt her head.

“Yeah, heard there’s a new student though,” Tommy commented on Oliver’s other side, and Oliver perked up, looking around as if they would be right there. “Naw, no big deal. She ain’t one of us,” Tommy said, Oliver trying to hide his disappointment. _Since when did being ‘one of us’ depict who one could be friends with?_

“Yeah, I know who you’re talking ‘bout,” Laurel jumped in, Oliver turning his head back to look at her, “she has no da, and she seems to be completely grody,” Laurel added. Oliver held back his snort at Laurel’s rude comment. Sometimes she was just so downright straightforward. It was one of the reasons Oliver could tolerate dating her.  

“By the way she was dressed and the rumour going ‘round that she has no da, she’s a total oddball. Nothing interesting for us there,” Tommy cleared up and Oliver set his face to agreement. Right, social classes and all that junk.

“You okay Ollie? You seem pretty offset,” Laurel commented, an Oliver offered up a tight-lipped smile to her, hiding all his emotions behind it.

“I’m just righto,” Oliver said to Laurel, who shrugged, the answer pleasing her. “Oh, Laurel, I forgot to mention-” Oliver said, about to invite Laurel to a party his mom was forcing him into when his eyes caught on something bright blonde making its way towards the group’s usual table.

“Zorros, it’s her,” Laurel breathed out, Oliver barely registering her words.

Right off the bat, she was obviously new and not part of their crowd. Her blonde hair was down and granted lots of volume, not up in a tight nest like Laurel’s. Her threads were leather, her jacket hanging loose, tight leather pants wrapped snugly around her legs. Her eyes were an icy blue, and her lips were painted a dark colour.  

She wore black leather boots with a slight heel, and walked in that way that all greasers walked in. She was the exact opposite of what the social norms were for a women of the time.

She was all Oliver was not, but was all Oliver felt he needed to learn since she was as far out as one got.

“What a complete closet case,” Laurel’s best friend, Nyssa commented, as she sat herself down next to Laurel, giving Tommy a quick wink. Oliver spared her a glance, noticing how she looked just the same as Laurel, before turning back to this new girl, just as she passed where he was sitting, their eyes meeting for a second before he was dismissed and she was ushered over to the table where all their kind were located by Ray Palmer.

“What was that you wanted to ask, Ollie?” Laurel asked, snapping Oliver out of his lust-like haze and back into the present with his friends.

“Oh, right. Well, my ma is throwing some party celebrating one of the new Machine’s my dad’s company is releasing, and I need a plus one. Tommy will be there too,” Oliver spilled out way too quickly. “Would you like to come?” Oliver asked, and Laurel looked to Nyssa, who gave her a look Oliver couldn’t read, before turning back to Oliver.

“Of course. It’ll be a blast,” Laurel said, and Oliver nodded back to her, turning down to his empty tray. He stood to go throw it out, grabbing Laurel’s as well.

Oliver moved toward the trash can, sparing the new girl another glance as he passed her table, once again struck by how stunning her face was, the slight blush on her cheeks. She seemed above those she dined with, whom Oliver had had much experience with before. The one who she sat next to, whose arm was slung ‘round her shoulder already, particularly.

His name was Ray Palmer, and he was their leader. Him and Oliver had never gotten along, since he was the King of the Slumful and Grease-folk, while Oliver ruled over the queen’s of bread and Soc-civilized peoples. Oliver had never particularly picked a fight with him, but whenever Ray wanted to settle a score, Oliver was not below a drag if necessary.

And Oliver hated how he had already pulled this girl under his beaten wing, as if they had known each other all their lives.

Oliver made his way back to his table, shaking his head. He was kidding himself. He had Laurel, and his own kingdom to rule. There was nothing more important than that. Was there?

\--> \--><\--<\--

The day had finished as much of a drag as it had begun. Oliver had driven Laurel home and then had come back to the school for his baseball practice.

Baseball, as usual, had been as interesting as a class with a moldy teacher. Oliver didn’t even like baseball, he was just forced into it, because everyone else played it so he was expected to as well. Image was everything, as his mom felt she needed to constantly remind him. It was his image that, among a few other things, was the reason he stayed with Laurel.

After practice ended, Oliver got into his car, firing it up once more, about to make his way home when he spotted that new girl sitting by herself underneath a tree near the edge of the baseball field, not even half a foot away from the bleachers. Had she been there the whole practice?

Oliver paused, finding himself in a dilemma. There was image, or there was instinct. Ignoring the image, he opened the door, getting out and making his way to where the girl was sat against the trunk, stopping when he was next to the bleachers, the girl looking down at some book in her hands.

“Hello,” He greeted as friendly as he could, the girl whipping her head up, obviously not having heard him approaching. “I’m Oliver, I heard you were new. Just wanted to welcome you,” He tried, leaning himself against the bleachers, wondering why his words weren’t flowing as charming as they normally did when he was around girls.

“I know who you are, you’re Mr. Queen,” She said, and Oliver almost snorted at how different this girl was from the ones he was normally stuck around.

“How about just Oliver?” He tried once more, and she cocked her head, continuing to sit and look up at him, her book snapping closed between her fingers.

“Alright, just Oliver, what made you choose to come talk to me?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. “Or, I guess, maybe you weren’t coming to talk to me since you were just playing baseball on that field, which you were magnificent at, by the way, but- I mean- I totally wasn’t watching- ugh-” She finally cut herself off, throwing her head into her hands, her book falling next to her, and this time, Oliver let out a short chuckle. She was, as Laurel had called her, and odd ball.

“I just thought maybe I could offer you a ride home, since you were sitting here by yourself,” Oliver said, seeing her surprised look and mirroring it in his emotions, totally shocked at how the offer had just slid out of his mouth like it was nothing. “Unless, you already have a ride home,” Oliver added, trying to save himself from sounding like a creep.

“Uhh, no, actually, I don’t have a ride home,” She said, standing up and dusting her legs off from the dirt on the ground, her tight leather pants doing beauties to her muscled legs, Oliver’s eyes drifting down her legs just as his thoughts were drifting down into the gutter.

“Would you like one, then?” Oliver asked, shaking off the familiar feeling he was starting to get, trying to assure himself he was doing this out of the goodness of his heart, not his pants.

“Well, since you asked so kindly,” She said, grabbing her small bag of things next to her, placing the book in it, and coming up next to Oliver as he began to walk towards his car with her beside him. “So, I have to ask, baseball. Is that the chosen sport of all forever, or do you think there will be a bigger one?”

Oliver raised an eyebrow. This was not what he had expected this girl to be like at all, but it was a nice surprise. “Well, baseball is really radioactive right now because of the world series and such, but nothing stays popular forever.”

“Well, I, for one, think that football will be huge one day. Don’t you?” She asked, and Oliver closed his mouth, stopping himself from letting out his immediate answer. Many of his not so friendly opponents in school like Ray Palmer were into football, and it was most of the non-bread owners, to narrow it down even further. Oliver had always wanted to play football, but, image.

“Couldn’t say. Had to actually try it,” Oliver ended up letting out, looking to her to see her nodding, actually thinking it over. They had reached his car, and Oliver opened the front door for her, before making his way over to the drivers side, getting in himself. “Now, where are we headed?” Oliver asked, looking to her, and she seemed to pause, her face looking as if she wasn’t going to tell him.

“The Glades,” She finally grit out, and Oliver just bobbed his head, trying to ignore his surprise. No nice girl like her should be living in the glades. Then again, really no one belonged in the garbage that was the glades.

Oliver revved up his car, pulling out of the school and making his way in the direction of the Glades.  

“So, what caused you to move to a place like Starling?” Oliver asked, forcing his words into a casual way, trying to not make it sound like he was actually as interested as he was. Man, he was about ready to quit his life, just so he could stop following his image and start following his heart.

“Ma got a new job someplace around the Glades. Was better than where we had been, so we figured why not. ‘Tis just the two of us, so a job that pays fifteen cents more still pays fifteen cents more, you know,” Oliver nodded his head out of habit, taking all the information in. So, she wasn’t originally from here, and the rumours about her not having a father were true. And, even with that, it seemed her and her mom were struggling to make dues. Made sense, hit many people after the depression and never seemed to go away, especially with all the taxes thrown out ‘cuz of all the wars.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to your da?” Oliver questioned just as she pointed for him to turn down another street, heading deep into some of the nastier segments of the Glades.

“He left us. He was still giving ma and I money, but then he entered the war and was shot or something. I didn’t really know him very well, he left when I was a real yoot. Never felt of didn’t feel his presence,” She said, and Oliver felt that when she spoke she just let her brain say what it wanted and never stopped it, as if there was no such thing as a filter. He liked it more than Laurel’s thoughtful and passive word choice.

Although Oliver couldn’t relate, Tommy had grown up without a mom and Oliver knew his parent’s relationship was not healthy, so he felt a bit of what parental issues held, and it was not a good time.

“Makes sense,” Oliver settled on, and Felicity pointed once more for him to turn before telling him to stop right in front of a building that had definitely seen better days.

“This is it, home sweet new home,” She said, and Oliver once more suppressed a snort, getting out quickly so he could open her door for her.

She grabbed her bag and headed for the door, Oliver following her to it. She turned to him, looking contemplative. Oliver stopped himself right below the beaten single step to get up to the door.

“Well, thanks for the ride, and for talking to me, and answering my question, I guess, although it wasn’t that hard of a question…” She drifted off, and then seemed to pull herself together. “Nonetheless, thanks. And, I hope to see you again, and maybe get another ride if need be, since you are quite nice to be ‘round, er- um. Bye,” She said, her cheeks reddening, Oliver unable to help himself from smiling back at her and now she’d accidentally called him nice without even meaning to. He wondered what else mistakes that mouth could make and then immediately stopped himself.

“You’re welcome. Anytime, and I mean it,” Oliver said, and she smiled once more, nodding to him before opening the door and disappearing inside, Oliver getting one more glance at the voluminous blonde hair and nice defined backside before the door slammed on his face, his gaping eyes cut off.

Oliver pivoted on his heel, walking off her porch and back into his car, quickly heading back home, trying to ignore how irritated his mom would be by how much later he would arrive than normal, telling him not to worry her like that, excuses already flowing through his brain.

Oliver sighed happily, rolling down his window and letting the wind whip against his face, the nasty glades disappearing as he headed to the nicer suburban area that his neighborhood was in, about halfway home before he realized one important detail.

He still didn’t know her name.


	2. High Class Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver has an uncomfortable dinner and lunch, gets to drive Felicity home once more, and has an awkward encounter at his Mom's party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's yet another chapter since I couldn't hold myself back and wait a day to upload. Hope everyone enjoys. Also, if you ever want to rant about a fandom or just need someone to talk to, I have a tumblr (@AKBruce) and would love to chat! Also, glossary at the bottom for those who requested. :)

**2: High Class Baby**

_ Well, go and find a rich man, put your arms around him _

_ Tell him that you love him and then go out and drown him _

_ May be which you're riches, you'll find true happiness _

_ But I'll stay here a-rocking, 'cause it's what I love the best _

 

_ In a joint that's a hoppin' and a cat that's a boppin' _

_ There'll be no stoppin' me, wait and see _

_ A lotta things I gotta do, go put on my dancing shoe _

_ Honey, I soon lose the blues, bye bye, my baby _

 

_ High Class Baby _

_ High Class Baby _

 

“Oliver. Earth to Oliver Queen,” Thea snapped in Oliver’s face, Oliver blinking a few times before turning to her, raising his eyebrows at his little sister. 

“Sorry, guess it’s been a long day. What’d you say?” Oliver asked, earning a disappointed scuff from his mother. 

“I asked if you were excited for Mom’s party tomorrow. You’re bringing Laurel, right?” Thea asked, and Oliver held in a sigh, having completely forgotten about the lame party his mom was throwing. 

It had been three whole days since his ride home with the new girl, and he had learned through only one interaction with her around a day ago that her name was Felicity Smoak, but he couldn’t get her and her weird attitude out of his mind. There was something about her, and Oliver wanted more. The last thing Oliver wanted to do was go to one of his mom’s party with Laurel. 

“Yeah, I guess I’m excited. And yes, of course I’m bringing Laurel, she is my girlfriend,” Oliver said, and Thea smiled, clapping her hands together. For some reason, Thea loved when Laurel came to their events, and Laurel seemed to love being with Thea more than Oliver. 

Oliver had always liked Laurel. She was decently nice, and had been a good friend, and had always seemed somewhat interested in him. But she had never really felt  _ real _ . Oliver could never pinpoint why, but he always thought that Laurel had felt the same way. 

It was always image. Would there ever be a time that wasn’t image?

“So, Oliver, how’s baseball?” Oliver’s father asked, and Oliver sighed, really not in the mood to argue with his dad about what he’s doing wrong and what he should be doing better.

“Well-” Oliver started, cut of by the chime of the wall phone going off, Robert standing up to get it, not even excusing himself from the table. “Mom, may I go finish my schoolwork?” Oliver asked politely, and Moira nodded, Oliver quickly getting up and dashing away from the table. 

He retreated upstairs to his room, closing the door tightly behind him and making his way to his bed, laying down and tossing his baseball up, trying to control his frustration. 

He would say that he loved his family, but the only part that he loved of his family was Thea. Thea was the only reason he still tolerated his parents. Sometimes he wondered how  _ Thea  _ managed to tolerate their parents. 

Robert was egotistical, and Oliver hated how much his father expected from him. He was harsh because of his success, and he had no consideration for Oliver. All he cared of was the future and of the success that could be brought to the Queen name. Oliver despised him. 

Oliver did not hate his mother. She was just extremely obsessed with the image of the family. What she did was visit the Merlyn household a lot, but no one else in the family seemed to peep about why she did, so Oliver didn’t either.

Thea was a beauty, and a ray of light. Thea was full of joy, just a young girl in middle school. She still had so much to discover, and the image of the family meant absolutely nothing to her since she was, unlike Oliver, a young girl who could marry whoever she liked, since she was not firstborn or male. 

Oliver sighed, catching his baseball and putting it on his bedside table, getting up to sit at his desk, looking down at the little bit of homework he knew he wouldn’t do. 

Oliver was sure that if Thea fell for someone like Felicity it would be no big deal, as long as it was a guy since his parents had sticks up their asses. But, Oliver had to be with Laurel, or at least someone like her. 

Oliver picked up his pencil to start his work, thinking about Felicity and the way she seemed to be full of happiness, despite all of the problems she had in her life. If she could handle it, Oliver could too. Besides, what rules said he couldn’t drive a poor girl who had no way to get there home? 

Oliver smirked, starting on his work, his whole body humming with excitement to see the far out girl again in school tomorrow. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

Oliver nearly smacked his tray down at the group’s usual table in agitation. Tommy, who was seated next to where Oliver attacked the table with his tray jumped and turned, giving Oliver a single raised eyebrow.

“What gives man? Tough bone?” He teased, eyeing where Laurel stood in line for lunch with Nyssa and a few other girls. Oliver rolled his eyes and sat himself next to Tommy. 

“Just not looking forward to that lame party my mom’s throwing for dad’s company tonight,” Oliver said, not wanting to give out the real reason for his frustration. Tommy nodded, Laurel sitting across from Oliver just then, Nyssa at her side. 

Oliver had spent the whole morning waiting and hoping to see Felicity, and had seen absolutely nothing. No sign of that voluminous crazy blonde nest, and Oliver was beyond disappointed. 

“Hey Ollie,” Laurel said, pulling Oliver out of his irritation and into a different level. “I’m wearing blue to the party tonight, so make sure you have blue on somewhere,” Laurel said and Oliver nodded in reply, Tommy nudging Oliver’s shoulder. 

“Cheer up, champ,” He whispered so Laurel couldn’t hear, “At least you’ll be in coordinating blue outfits!” Oliver chuckled along with Tommy, Laurel raising her eyebrows and Nyssa giving Tommy a knowing look. 

All of that disappeared as Oliver spotted just what he’d been wanting to see the whole day. This time, the blonde hair was pulled into a high blonde side ponytail, her lips painted a different shade of deep red, a tight leather skirt and jacket wrapping her body. 

Oliver looked back to Laurel, happy when he saw that Laurel and Nyssa were whispering to one another and not paying attention to Oliver’s jaw on the ground. 

He glanced back once more, his temper flaring just a tad as he spotted Felicity heading over to where Palmer was hailing her, even looking slightly pleased to see him. Felicity passed their table, offering Oliver a quick lift of the left side of her lips that seemed almost innocent, before sitting down next to Palmer a few tables down. 

Laurel decided to look up just then, scoffing. “Ew, what a weirdo. Ponytails aren’t even in style,” She commented, and Nyssa agreed, Tommy shrugging. 

“I heard her mom works for a diner in the Glades as a waitress and isn’t even married. How lame!” Nyssa added, and Oliver held his temper at bay. It wasn’t really even the girl’s fault, it was their first nature to judge people who were different. Oliver did it all the time, it was how sheltered rich kids like himself had been raised.

“So, Tommy, how’s your dad doing?” Nyssa asked, and Oliver gave Felicity one more glance before turning his attention back to his own group, their conversation boring as ever. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

Baseball had passed with a breeze, the coach yelling at Oliver a few times for his distracted head, but Oliver really couldn’t help it when Felicity was leaned up against that same tree, her head fully interested in a now different book from a few days ago. This was her first time back sitting against that tree since that first day Oliver had drove her home, and Oliver was filled with joy and an edge that he chose to ignore to have her to himself once more.

Oliver had practically sprinted to the showers, changed as fast as he could, and had made his way to his car rapidly, happy when he spotted Felicity still at the tree, unaware of all the surroundings near her, seeming to be living in her own world.

He made his way up to her, Felicity hearing him, unlike their first encounter, and raising her head, giving him that same innocent half-smile that it seemed she had reserved just to make his insides coil. “Hullo Oliver.”

“Hey Felicity,” He said, loving the way her name rolled off of his tongue, loving that he could say it. She closed her book and put it in her bag, standing. 

“I assume you’ll be offering me a ride home now,” Felicity said, and Oliver held his laugh at bay.  _ She was so forward. _

“That I am,” Oliver replied with, and Felicity nodded, coming up next to him just as he started to walk towards his car. “So, what are you reading?” He asked, noticing how her face almost seemed to flush. 

“It’s nothing,” She said quickly, and Oliver turned his head to look at her fully, wondering if he should question why she brushed off his question so quickly. 

They reached his car, and Oliver opened the door for her, closing it behind her and then making his way to the drivers side. 

They had been driving for about five minutes in a peaceful silence when Felicity finally spoke up. “So,” she started, sounding guilty-like, “your dad’s really successful, huh?” She asked, and Oliver scoffed in a shocked way, surprised that was what she had decided to bring up. Girls were normally more interested in getting things from him, not chatting about his dad. 

“Yeah, I guess,” Oliver said, smooth as he could. “I don’t really give much attention to his work,” Oliver turned to look at Felicity, who was looking down at her lap, almost looking disappointed. “Why?” 

“I just think what his company creates is really far out. I’ve always been interested in technology and science-y stuff like what the company majors in,” Felicity said, and Oliver opened his mouth to reply, but she wasn’t done. “Not like I would try to go into it, since it would be practically impossible and my mom has no money and no girl would ever stand a chance, but I believe my brain was made to do that.”

Oliver turned the car, pulling up in front of her building, having remembered the exact route to her place. He parked the car in front, turning to look at Felicity fully. 

She was cooler than he could have ever anticipated. When did Laurel ever express herself like this, so openly? Felicity had a dream, and she had trusted him enough to share it with him, impossible as it seemed.

“To be honest,” Oliver said, Felicity looking up at him with a suspicious flare in her eye, “I’ve always been interested in working at my dad’s company as well, but my folks have always wanted me to get circled with a respectable dolly and then go into a sport or something,” Oliver said, shocked at how the words had just slipped out of his mouth. He had never shared that with him before. 

“Your dad doesn’t want you to keep the legacy goin’?” Felicity asked, looking surprised. 

“That’s the odd thing,” Oliver sighed, having thought over that exact question for what felt like thousands of times, “Whenever I mention that to him, he says the legacy will live on in it’s own way, and that I needn’t worry ‘bout it.” 

Felicity tilted her head, scrunching her brows in a way Oliver couldn’t help but find smokin’. “How curious,” She commented, and he chuckled at how dedicated she actually was to chatting with him. 

“Well, sure your mom’s expecting you,” Oliver said, checking the car clock to see he needed to be home soon if he didn’t want to earn a scolding from his mom for being late to her lame party.

“Yeah, probably,” Felicity said, almost looking regretful to get out of the car, causing Oliver to feel a hint of satisfaction. “I have to get to work anyways,” She finished, grabbing her bag and slamming the door behind her, rushing up and through the front door of her building before Oliver could even get out of the car to walk her to said door. 

She worked? What kind of girl their age worked? Oliver stopped himself. Of course she worked, she was probably just trying to make some extra dough. 

Oliver unparked his car, looping back out of the glades, already dreading his mom’s party and her reaction to him being almost late, her strained scolding voice ringing in his ears.

\-->\--><\--<\--

“Ollie, hun, you’ve been in there for almost ten minutes!” Laurel called, and Oliver sighed in a dramatic way, wishing he could drown his head in the bathroom sink. 

The party had been going fine, and then Moira had started to introduce Oliver to some big company and sports head, bragging about him to them. After having serious discussions with about six or seven of them, Oliver felt like he definitely needed some sort of pick-me-up. 

Oliver let out one last sigh, fixing his tie and smoothing his shirt. He turned, opening the door to the bathroom to find Laurel waiting, leaning against the wall. 

“Wanna ditch the party and spend some time alone?” Oliver asked her, sliding against the wall, closing in next to her, Laurel letting out a light giggle, that one that reminded Oliver why he stayed with her.

“Ollie, what’s gotten into you?” She asked, pulling back from him just a bit, as if she didn’t want anyone suspicious of non-high class business between the two, even though the hallway was deserted. “Tired of talking to all those big business heads?” She teased, and Oliver smiled back at her. He had to hand it to her, she did know him.  

“Absolutely,” Oliver breathed out, grabbing Laurel’s hand and pulling her around the corner down another hallway that was on the outer side of the kitchen and was also practically empty, save for a few waitresses and kitchen workers here and there. “Besides, we’ve had barely any time for each other.”

Laurel smiled in the way Oliver rarely got to see, smiling at her in return. He spun her, pinning her back against the wall, only getting a few light kisses along her neck before the kitchen door burst open, the two separating instantly. 

It was an older women who was in waitress attire and looked around Oliver’s mom’s age. She was facing the kitchen, not having noticed the two, yelling something through the doors. 

Just then, she turned, seeing Laurel and Oliver’s bashful faces, and raised her brows. “Don’t mind me, I won’t get in the way of two teenagers having fun. Go back a bit further and no one will see you around the right corner,” the women said, swiveling on her heel as a faint yell came through the doors to the kitchen. With that, the women pushed back through the swinging doors, Oliver and Laurel sharing a look. 

“Well…” Laurel said, and Oliver smirked softly, pulling Laurel back past the kitchen doors just as two figures burst through the doors this time, Laurel and Oliver freezing. 

“Oh my, Ollie,” Laurel said, having turned back towards the doors, and Oliver turned to see what Laurel was talking about when he spotted a familiar patch of bright blonde next to that same older woman. 

“Felicity?” Slipped out of Oliver’s mouth before he could stop himself, Laurel’s head whipping to look at Oliver in question. 

“Oh frack,” came from Felicity just as she turned to look at Oliver, her hair up in the waitress style. “Hullo Oliver,” She said timidly, and Oliver could feel Laurel’s glaring eyes.

“Sweetie, you know these cuties? Why I was just letting them know where they could go find some alone time,” The elder women said to Felicity, and Felicity seemed to pale, looking between Oliver and Laurel, pride rolling off Laurel in the way it did when other girls realized Oliver was hers.

“No, mom, not really,” Felicity said, offering them both pained smiles before turning and walking, tray in hand, in the direction of the party. 

“Well, whatever my Felicity says, if you are her friends, thank you so much for making her feel welcome,” the waitress said in final, before following the same path her daughter just took. 

Just then it dawned on Oliver. He remembered hearing her mom was a waitress, and she  _ had  _ just told Oliver she had a job. Of course she worked with her mom. But Felicity, a waitress? 

“Ollie, let’s go,” Laurel said, the smile returned to her face. Oliver looked at her and back at the way towards the party. 

“Maybe next time, Laurel. Our parents are probably wondering where we are,” Oliver said, and Laurel nodded in agreement, but the disappointment was clear on her face as the two made their way back towards the party, Oliver feeling guilty for a reason he couldn’t let himself except. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glossary:  
> -far Out: Ahead of one's time  
> -dolly: girl   
> -nest: hairstyle   
> -circled: married


	3. Blue Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver has a conversation with Tommy's odd father. Felicity makes a friend and Oliver has a movie night that could only be described as awkward, causing a clash between him and a close one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update is later than the week(ish) I normally hold myself to, so if you're a returning reader, thank you for sticking with! If you're not, welcome. As always, love to hear feedback. (And kudos)   
> Talk to me on Tumblr! @: AKBruce   
> Glossary at the bottom.

**3: Blue Moon**

_ Blue moon you saw me standing alone _

_ Without a dream in my heart _

_ Without a love of my own _

_ Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for _

_ You heard me saying a prayer for  _

_ Someone I really could care for _

_ And then there suddenly appeared before me _

_ The only one my arms will ever hold _

_ I heard somebody whisper "Please adore me" _

_ And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold! _

“Ollie, c’mon, we’ve only been throwing for 25 minutes and you’re already done?” Tommy complained, Oliver shrugging and heading back inside before Tommy could pity him into practicing more of his shit catching. 

Per the usual, when Tommy had invited Oliver over to  _ study _ all he really wanted to do was practice his catching skills, talk about hot girls, watch random stuff on the television, and, the most important one, avoid his dad. 

Malcolm Merlyn was odd, and a tad on the creepy side, but that seems to be the result of his dead wife and him running Queen Consolidated with Oliver’s dad as Co-CEO. 

“Sorry dude, I have to go to the movies with Laurel tonight and I can’t be exhausted from throwing speed balls at you, if you catch me,” Oliver said, hearing Tommy snort behind him. 

The door slammed closed, telling Oliver that Tommy was now inside with him. “Okay dude, you go to the television, I’m gonna clean up for a couple minutes.” 

Oliver heard thumping up the stairs, and he turned, just catching a glimpse of Tommy making his way up towards his room. Oliver sighed, heading to the huge kitchen, hoping there was some premade food for Oliver to gulp down. 

As he entered the kitchen, he caught sight of Malcolm, who was sitting at the counter slurping a bowl of soup, to Oliver’s surprise. Malcolm almost always hid himself in his office when Tommy had people over, he really wasn’t a social interaction type of person. 

“Oliver Queen,” Malcolm said, raising his head up from his soup, Oliver already creeped out just by Malcolm’s first movements.  _ It’s your best friend’s dad, cool it Oliver. You’d be a little off too if you were in his position. _

“Hello, Mr. Merlyn,” Oliver greeted. “I was just going to get some food for Tommy and I, don’t mind me,” Oliver said as casually as he could, about to sprint to the pantry when Malcolm’s words stopped him. 

“You know any new poor girls at your school, Oliver Queen?” Oliver froze, his brows coming together. He couldn’t mean… “Well, do you son?” Oliver opened his mouth. 

“Well, I guess, Sir, but I mostly stay around Laurel since we’re dating, so I don’t talk to many other dolly’s,” Oliver tried, hoping to end the conversation, but Merlyn still had more. 

“So you don’t talk to the poor kids who live in the disgusting areas of our city?” Malcolm asked, and Oliver shook his head in a ‘no’ motion. “Interesting…” Malcolm drifted off, taking another slurp of his soup, not removing his intense gaze off Oliver. 

Oliver turned, practically running into the pantry and grabbing a bag of popcorn, emerging from the pantry a few seconds later, hoping to make his way towards the television room. 

“What about your dad’s company, Oliver? Do you have any interest in working there someday?” Oliver turned to look back at Malcolm, who was still slurping up his soup, his gaze just as sharp. 

“Well, I’ve thought about it,” Oliver said, winding his way through what his wordchoice he would use. “Da wants me to go into sports though, so I’m just waiting to see what will fit me best.”

“Hmm, interesting,” Malcolm said, and Oliver nodded. He looked back down at his soup, and Oliver took that as a dismissal, bolting out of the kitchen and into the room with the tv, Tommy already settled on the chair in front of it. 

“Dude, how long does it take you to pick a flavour of popcorn?” Tommy asked, and Oliver fell into the chair next to his, shaking his head. 

“A long time, apparently, when Malcolm decides to ask you about your social life and future,” Oliver commented, and Tommy made a gagging motion, twisting at the anteneas of the tv before flipping it on, turning on the baseball channel. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

“Okay, Oliver, cool it, cool it,” Oliver chanted to himself, waiting out in front of Laurel’s house in his car, wondering why Laurel was so bloody late. They weren’t even going to make the whole movie. 

Finally, after what felt like forever of Oliver sitting in his car trying to calm his nerves, Laurel emerged from the front door of her house, making her way to the car, getting in the passenger seat next to him, her nest twisted in another updo, her shirt a tad open, which was very uncommon for Laurel. 

Oliver almost grinned to himself, feeling a bit more confident, taking off in the direction of the best drive in theater in all of Starling. 

“How was your day?” Oliver asked, not looking at Laurel but sensing some sort of excitement from her. 

“It was a germ, honestly. But, going to this flick with you will hopefully make up for it,” Laurel said, surprising Oliver once more. What had gotten into her? Whatever it was, he decided he had no problem with it. 

They pulled up the the theater, and Oliver parked his car as close as he could, a few other hot-rodders littered around the grass, some people sitting at the very front wrapped in blankets. Luckily, it looked like the ads were still on, and the movie didn’t start for another five minutes. 

“You hungry?” Oliver asked, and Laurel nodded, the two getting out of the car and making their way towards the food stand, Laurel hooking her arm through Oliver’s elbow. That motion was something that was, in fact, not new. 

They got in line, and Oliver checked his pockets for cash before looking up, realising with a little pang of panic in his chest that, a few people in front of them in line, was the back of Felicity’s bright blonde hair, and the ugly sweep of Palmer’s hair. 

“It’s kind of cold. You can wait in the car if you want,” Oliver offered to Laurel, trying to ignore the uncalled for hurt Oliver felt in his chest that Felicity chose to come here with Palmer. Besides, he didn’t want Laurel seeing Felicity and making any comments to her face after their  _ interesting _ encounter at his mom’s party yesterday. 

“Whaddya mean?” Laurel asked, and Oliver opened his mouth to reply, “Zorros,” Laurel breathed softly, and Oliver knew he was too late. “It’s that girl from the party. What was her name? Felicity?” Oliver held in a snort, just as Felicity and Palmer turned, popcorn in Felicity’s arms, Palmer’s arm slung around her shoulder casually. 

Oliver and Felicity’s eyes met, and Felicity looked down quickly, obviously still embarressed. 

“Hey Felicity!” Laurel waved, in her sappy making-fun-of tone she used when she was talking to people she felt were below her. Oliver placed a hand on her shoulder, but Laurel ignored him, ready to pounce. “Surprised you got work off.” 

“Yeah, I got a day off,” Felicity said almost timidly, and Palmer offered Oliver a glare, but, surprisingly, stayed quiet. “Cya…” Felicity said, her voice drifting off as Palmer jerked her to the side, Felicity almost stumbling. Oliver pitied her, but it was the world. Obviously, Palmer was an ass. 

“Laurel, that was uneccessary,” Oliver said to Laurel, just as it was their turn to order in line. Oliver got a shake and got Laurel fries, and they made their way back to his car, Laurel’s arm linked through his elbow. 

Minutes after the two settled in the car, the movie started, and Oliver looked to his left a few minutes in, only to see that a half a metre or so, Palmer and Felicity had laid a blanket on the grass and were huddled together watching the movie. 

Oliver looked closer, squinting. She was smiling at something, and his arm was tight around her shoulder, the other up extremely high on her thigh. 

“Ollie,” Came Laurel’s voice from the passanger seat, her eyes no longer on the movie. “Why do you keep watching that girl?” She asked, her voice automatically becoming accusatory. Oliver shrugged, clearing his face of expression. 

“She seems cool, and I’ve taken her home a couple times since she doesn’t have a car. Plus, who our age actually works? I think it’s just cool to see a girl working,” Oliver said defensively, and Laurel’s face lit up in a obviously faked look of disbelief. 

“You never drive me home,” Laurel jabbed, and Oliver cringed. Probably not the best thing to have told Laurel in the moment. “It’s not respectable for a lady to work at that young. Women who work as waitresses dressed like that are-”

“Laurel!” Oliver piped in before Laurel could say just what he knew she was going to say, her foul mouth. “Let’s just watch the movie, okay,” Oliver shrugged, about to turn back to the movie when a tap came on the window. Oliver turned, his surprise turning to instant anger when seeing it was Palmer who had commited the deed. Oliver rolled down his window. 

“What do you want?” Oliver accused, his voice tense. Palmer smirked soflty, as if he knew just how much Oliver hated seeing him with Felicity. 

“How ‘bout you play dead for just a while? I’m trying to enjoy this movie with my soon to be burd and I don’t need your arguing ruining the mood,” Palmer said, his weird wording and horrible grammar making Oliver personally offended. 

A tiny, guilty, terrible part of him felt relief, realizing Felicity wasn’t with Palmer, and that Palmer was only hunting her. Oliver was a terrible boyfriend. 

“Lay off,” Oliver said, starting to roll his window up. 

“I see you eyeing my prey. You should lay off,” Palmer said before turning around and swaggering over to where Felicity was sat, her brows squished in the way they always did when she was thinking hard.  _ How did Oliver know that? _

“His prey? Ollie, what the hell?” Laurel said, and Oliver whipped his head back to Laurel, almost having forgotten she was sitting there. 

“I don’t know, Laurel. Can we just enjoy ourselves?” Oliver practically sighed. Palmer wasn’t the only one who wanted him and Laurel to stop arguing. It tired Oliver, and Laurel had so many constant problems. 

“Fine, but we’ll discuss this later,” Laurel gave in, and Oliver almost praised the heavens in relief of dodging that attack. Laurel shifted off her seat, scooting over through the seat to rest her whole body against Oliver, his arm resting around her. 

Oliver couldn’t tell anyone what the movie was about. He spent the rest of the night taking glances when he could at those blonde locks like a halo and the devil that was hunting her.

\-->\--><\--<\--

School had been beyond awkward, and Oliver knew he wasn’t exaggerating by feeling that. Laurel was on edge, watching him every second, looking as if she might pounce on him. 

Tommy was normal, though Oliver could tell he knew something was going on from Laurel’s aura, and Nyssa was her same self, gawking at everyone, no matter what gender. Oliver pretended he didn’t notice that, though, for her sake. The times were not good times, as some may say. The moon had shifted from blue to red, and people were strung up like any action could cause a war. 

There was only one huge difference that had disappointed Oliver to an unholy degree throghout the day, and, per the usually, it had to do with Felicity. 

Now, strip away the labels and titles and looks and reputation, Oliver felt that he was a pretty good judge of character. Or, at least he liked to believe that. 

So, when Felicity suddenly started hanging around Sara Snart more than Palmer, Oliver was concered. 

Yes, it had been only a single day, but that didn’t make much of a difference. Most days, Oliver saw Palmer and Felicity always together, but not today. If anything, Palmer seemed to shy away from Felicity when Sara was near. 

That wasn’t the worst part, though. The thing that really pushed Oliver over the edge was what occured after school. 

Oliver sighed. He had been in the pit all through practice, and Felicity had been sitting by her tree. She didn’t have a book in her hand though, she was just staring off into the distance, as if she was waiting for something drastic. 

After practice, though Oliver had loads of homework to get done, he decided to approach her, casually making his way over to the tree. She didn’t notice him, and if she did, she didn’t look up. 

“Hey,” Oliver said, and Felicity looked up, her face seemingly pale. “Need a ride?” Oliver asked, and Felicity just shook her head, looking away. Oliver knit his brows. What was up with her? “Hey, you okay?”

“I don’t think you should drive me home anymore,” Felicity said in reply. “Sara will give me a ride. You can leave me alone, now,” She added, and Oliver’s chest tightened. What had Sara said? 

Felicity stood, pulling her bag over her shoulder, not looking at him. Oliver’s body seemed to freeze, he had no clue what to do in the moment. 

“Felicity, wait-” Oliver started, and Felicity turned, her face gone from pale to a bright red, her eyes ablaze. Oliver’s own eyes widened, take a step back from where he had come forward. 

“No, Oliver. You need to stop this, now. You have Miss Laurel Lance, and your cool little crew. You don’t need to be a pity friend to the broke waitress and her working daughter,” Felicity fumed. “I thought Starling would be different. Turns out you high class kids are the same no matter where I move. Now, I’m going to leave, and you’re going to stick to your circle, and I’ll stay where I belong in the garbage, as your love so kindly stated it,” Felicity let out, her ramble getting the best of her. She turned around once more and half-ran towards the opposite parking lot. 

Oliver stood still in complete shock. What had made Felicity feel that way?

Suddenly, Oliver’s fist collided with Felicity’s tree. He hadn’t meant to, but it felt so good he punched it a few more times, his knuckles aching. 

All he had wanted to do was befriend Felicity, who seemed so far out and fun. Why wouldn’t society let him be happy. 

He froze, his fist stopping a hair’s width from the tree.  _ What had Felicity said? ‘I’ll stay where I belong in the garbage, as your love so kindly stated it’ _ . His mind zoomed in like a polarid filter on how Felicity had said ‘your love’. 

Oliver pivoted on his heel, trot-like-running to his car, starting the engine up, trying not to tear his engine apart as he revved it up. He didn’t know much about why Felicity stormed off, but he did know one thing, and that was that it had something to do with Laurel’s.

Oliver’s face twisted. He and Laurel were about to have a very thorough talk about just how much they needed to be included in each other’s lives. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

When Oliver got home, he was not in the mood for any arguments with his family, so he made his way straight up to his room, only to feel dreading when hearing yelling from Thea’s room. 

In a dreadful manner, Oliver practically dragged his feet over to Thea’s room, peering inside to see Thea on the wall phone in her room (Oliver wasn’t allowed one) to see Thea yelling into it so harshly that the wall seemed to be shaking. 

Abruptly, Thea slammed the phone back against the wall, shoving her hands through her short hair multiple times, sitting down at her desk. 

Oliver took a few tentative steps inside, leaning himself up against the wall a few steps away from her desk. “What’s up?” He inquired, Thea looking behind herself at him, Oliver blinking when realising her eyes were red. 

“I hate society,” Was all Thea said before looking away and taking a deep breath. “But, I have a question for you,” Thea said, and Oliver raised a single brow, confused how him coming in to comfort an arguing Thea ended up on asking him question.

“Alright, I guess,” Oliver said, and Thea turned her chair around so she was facing him fully. She then proceeded to give him a once over, her eyes landing on his bloody knuckles. He grimaced, realising he probably should have cleaned them. 

“Well, besides the obvious,” She pointed to his hand, “Laurel told me you’ve been hanging around a grease,” Thea said, ignoring Oliver’s half cringe at Thea’s disrespectful termonoligy, true as it may be. Oliver waited for a few seconds before realising that Thea was waiting for him to reply. 

“Yes, I have been, but not a ton,” Oliver said. That was the best part about his sister, he could pour out his soul to her. 

“Well, remember that current time in which I’ve liked a grease boy for a year? No? Well, now you know,” Thea wooshed out, and Oliver raised both brows. What exactly was Thea trying to say here. “Oh, don’t give me that look. I know that you think you’ve got it all figured out with Laurel-” Thea said, and Oliver caught it. 

“Woah, Thea, I do have it figured out with Laurel,” Oliver stated, not wanting Thea to get any funny ideas in her head about the reasoning on why Oliver was talking to a girl from a different class. 

“Tch, okay, say that, but I know you don’t believe it,” Thea retorted, and Oliver was about to open his mouth to argue, but decided not to say anything after coming upon the fact that Thea may have had a point. “I’m just saying, follow your heart, not your image, big bro. You are dismissed.”

With that, Thea swiveled her chair around, and Oliver let out a soft laugh, retreating back to his room and closing the door. Sometimes, his younger sister had words wiser than Presley himself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Glossary:  
> -catch me: understand   
> -nest: girl's hair  
> -germ: pest, irritating   
> -flick: movie  
> -Zorros: Oh my goodness!  
> -play dead: stay low, mind your own business  
> -burd: girlfriend  
> -prey: single girl guy is going after  
> -grease: poor person


	4. That'll be the Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Laurel argue, Sara convinces Felicity to start being social resulting in Felicity attending Oliver's baseball game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow almost a week! I'm practically early! Thanks for all your good feedback and kudos, you all are amazing.   
> Disclaimer: I don't know much about baseball, so if the game looks completely wrong, that's why. Sorry!  
> Enjoy:)

**4: That’ll be the Day**

_ Well, that'll be the day, when you say goodbye _

_ Yes, that'll be the day, when you make me cry _

_ You say you're gonna leave, you know it's a lie _

_ 'Cause that'll be the day when I die _

“I don’t see what you’re fussing over, I just told her to lay off my boyfriend. She’s practically already got a burd anyways,” Laurel said defensively, and Oliver reeled back in shock. Laurel had always been almost overly-needy with him, but she had never been this bad. 

“Laurel, you can’t just say that to people,” Oliver scolded, turning another corner, the streets getting more narrow as the two headed towards Verdant, which was the poppin’ diner that the Meryln’s owned, right on the edge of the glades. It also happened to be one of the favourite hang out places of all the high school students. 

Laurel shrugged. “She’s below us anyways. Now I’ve just nudged her in the direction of her place,” Laurel said nonchelantly, and Oliver’s jaw tightened on instinct.  _ Had it really taken him all this time to notice how much bad he was surrounding his life with? _

Oliver had spent an hour after his heart-to-heart with Thea, pacing around his room, before Laurel had called his phone and demanded that he pick her up so they could go out for the special happy hour at Tommy’s dad’s diner. Thus, he had found himself arguing with Laurel in his car. 

“Laurel, social class doesn’t rate how nice you can be to people,” Oliver pointed out, and, out of the corner of his eye, saw Laurel lift a hand to her chest, looking as dramatic as ever. 

“Then what does it give you?” Laurel shot back, and Oliver opened his mouth, but Laurel wasn’t done. “Honestly Ollie, you don’t even sound like yourself anymore. What has this girl done to you? Did she give you smog in your noggin’?” She accused, and Oliver stuttered. How did Laurel turn this into  _ his  _ fault? 

“Whatever, just don’t do it again,” Oliver said, giving up on the conversation, Laurel obviously not relenting. Just then, the bright lights of the diner illuminated the street as the car turned a corner, and Oliver parked along the street, looking up at the colorful diner. 

“Blastin’!” Laurel exclaimed, not waiting for Oliver to open the door for her, instead scurrying up the stairs and running in, leaving her door open and leaving him to slowly follow up the stairs to the entrance behind her. 

Oliver made it to the door, opening it and slinging in, spotting the jukebox in the corner, the booths lining the sides, the bright propaganda signs hanging along the walls, the kitchen in the back, the waitresses who practically skated across the floor, their skirts flying, and the dance floor, which was between the booths on the wall, the door, and the kitchen. It was the same, nothing was different. Oliver shook his head, wondering what he had expected. 

Laurel had already planted herself in one of the smaller booths closer to the kitchen, the one the two always occupied. Oliver made his way to the booth and slid in next to her, coiling his arm around her shoulder. Laurel hair was half up, half down in bouncy curls. 

Just then, their usual waitress, who had the unusual name of Isabel Roshev, approached their booth, her hair up in the typical updo, her apron swinging slightly. She leaned herself against the other side, offering them a smile. “What we ticklin’ for today?” She asked lightly, her smile widening to show her white teeth. 

“We’ll do the usual, thanks boss,” Oliver smiled back, and Laurel pulled his arm tighter. Isabel nodded and headed back towards the bar area, Oliver turning to Laurel. 

“Hey, Ollie, you wanna dance?” Laurel inquired lightly, seeming to already know the answer. Oliver sighed. She always did this. 

“Laurel, you know, I’m not a dancer,” Oliver said back and Laurel pouted, crawled over his lap and made her way to the dance floor, giving him a goofy-like glare as she spotted someone she knew and left him aside. 

Oliver eyed the diner again, before getting up to use the bathroom, passing the kitchen counter and pushing the back door, heading down the hall. He rounded the final corner to reach the bathroom, just as someone collided into him. 

Oliver looked down in a bit of shock, his eyes widening when he saw it was none other than Felicity. 

“O-Oliver, wow, do you follow me to work? Er- I mean, that came off wrong,” Felicity spat out, patting his chest, Oliver’s stomach tightening when he realised that Felicity was already walking away. “Sorry to run into you, gotta get back to my shift, see ya,” She stumbled, turning her head forward, rounding the corner. Oliver moved to follow her. 

“Felicity!” He shouted, but when he looked down the hallway, she was already at the end and didn’t even look back at him, the door swinging a second later behind her. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

“For the last time Tommy, I can’t tonight, I have my first baseball game,” Oliver said, and Tommy closed his mouth, nodding. They were located at the lunch table. It was Tuesday, and Oliver had decisively shut out all of the last night from his mind, not wanting to think about how he’d so easily rebounded to Laurel after his quick encounter with Felicity. 

“Righto,” Nyssa’s crisp accent jumped in, and Oliver and Tommy both looked in her direction. “I can, Tommy,” Nyssa offered, and Tommy grinned, just happy to finally having someone say yes. 

“Perfect! Well, I’ll make sure to bring some change to throw in the jukebox for your favourite sound,” Tommy said, and Nyssa gave him a sly smile. “Speaking of the diner, where’s Laurel?” Tommy asked, and Oliver shrugged, actually having no physical idea of where his girlfriend was. After the two had done a little bit in his car after their dinner, Laurel had stopped them earlier than usual, and had said she felt  _ faint _ and needed to be taken home. 

“She didn’t feel well,” Nyssa answered. “At least that’s what her dad told mine on the telephone this morning,” Nyssa added, and Tommy nodded, Oliver not shocked. When Laurel didn’t feel like coming to school, she didn’t. 

“Well, I’m off,” Tommy declared just as the school bell’s obnoxious noise came about the cafeteria. “Good luck at your game Oliver,” Tommy added, patting Oliver’s back in encouragement. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

“I’m sorry, Sara, but I really don’t want to talk about it,” Felicity said, stopping her closest friend continueing to bombard her with questions about her mysterious crush figure. 

“C’mon, Lis, you’re giving me nothing here. You’re obviously avoiding him now, I need you to tell me why,” Sara pushed, and Felicity sighed dramatically, throwing the spatula she had been using to mix her batter down. Home-ec was the worst class to be attacked in, their teacher was a chicken-shit who didn’t give two claps about the class and was just present to be paid. 

“Sara, I’m sorry, but we knew it was a no-no. He has that Laurel with all her long greens on his lap, and he’s got all his long greens himself. Besides, Ray has been sweet, and I’m so tired of saying no,” Felicity finally let out, exasperated. Sara sighed, and rolled her eyes, pouring her batter onto the stovetop.  _ Why didn’t Felicity’s look like that?  _ It was a good thing she was a waitress and not a chef. Not that a girl could ever be a chef. 

“Well, I disagree, but when do you care what I think?” Sara teased, and Felicity laughed back, splashing some of her batter in Sara’s direction. “Besides, Ray only seems okay before you date him. Then he becomes grody,” Sara made a gross face, and Felicity giggled once more. 

“I guess I’ll just have to see for myself. Not- in that way, of course, just in a dating way,” Felicity commented, finally feeling confident enough to pour her batter onto her stovetop, secretely following every step Sara did. 

“Say, doesn’t Oliver play on the baseball team?” Sara asked, and Felicity nodded, raising a single eyebrow. “Their first game is today, why don’t we go?” Sara offered, and Felicity tilted her head in consideration. 

Really, though, what was there to loose? She didn’t have work until late, and her mom would be glad she was participating in social events. Plus, it would take an edge off her busy overtime schedule. She hadn’t seen a sports game in ages, not since her mom swore to stop going to sports events. Which, turned out, was extremely hard. She had understood though. These men got to play baseball while Felicity’s father got to die valiantly in the war. 

Not like her father had left their house for the war, since he had left long before that, but Donna had always held a hope that he may one day return. Now, he had absolutely no chance of returning, which hurt her mother even more. But, of course, her mom would never say that aloud. Good thing Felicity could read her mom fairly well. 

“Alright, but you’ll have to drive me to work,” Felicity agreed, and Sara grinned, flipping her cakes from the stovetop. Felicity flipped hers, finding a crusty ugly brown colour. She sighed, hearing a giggle over her shoulder. 

She turned, offering a tongue at Sara, who’s giggle turned to a cackle. “Hopefully Oliver won’t have to see that,” Sara judged. 

“Well, with my mouth, he’ll probably end up seeing more,” Felicity said, realising how it sounded right after it came out of her mouth. “Oh great, that’s exactly what every guy wants to hear from a girl,” Felicity commented, and Sara cackled even louder, Felicity flinging her burnt cake right at Sara’s face. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

Felicity was in the bleachers. Oliver had no clue why, but he was cranked, which probably wasn’t the best idea since he probably should have been focusing in on his first game. 

But, Felicity was in the bleachers. Not Laurel, Felicity. 

Oliver sighed, realising a few seconds too late that someone had addressed him. 

“O, you focused in on the game, or your little dolly out there?” Oliver’s coach, who demanded to be called ‘Coach Diggle’, shouted, and Oliver shook his head quickly. 

“All on the game, sorry sir!” Oliver said, and Diggle nodded at him before continueing down the line of players, shouting words that Oliver wasn’t registering. 

He had to ace the game tonight. He didn’y know why, but he had to prove to Felicity how good he was. It seemed ridiculous, taken the fact that he already had Laurel and Felicity had told him to leave her alone on many occasions, but he still wanted to prove to her he was better than Ray. 

So that was just what he was going to do. The one small problem was that Oliver hadn’t practised or really paid any attention during practises. 

He came up to bat during the first inning, his team already loosing. He looked up at the bleachers, and Felicity’s eyes were planted on him. She didn’t even bother looking away, just raised her eyebrows, as if saying  _ ‘show me what you got, Daddy-O’ _ . 

Oliver swung his bat a few times, hitting the ground for good luck, like he always did. The pitcher popped his gum, slowly winding back, time seeming to slow to Oliver as the pitcher threw the ball. 

Oliver didn’t think, his muscle memory acting out of instinct, the bat making contact with ball with a  _ crack _ , the ball soaring back into the outfield. Once more, out of instinct, Oliver began running, making it to second base before deciding he couldn’t get any further.   

He breathed out in relief. Even though he knew his dad wasn’t in the audience, the word of his performance would find a way back to him somehow, like it always did. 

The next player, who was a freshman, came up to bat, getting Oliver to third base. The hit after that sending him down to home, the team cheering. 

Oliver looked up to the bleachers, his eyes proud and expecting. Felicity was smiling lightly, and Sara next to her was saying something that made Felicity’s face turn red. She obviously hadn’t notice Oliver’s stare yet. 

Oliver sighed and looked away. He had a feeling this game was going to last for just a bit too long. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

Felicity leaned her head back against the giant tree she enjoyed reading under, letting her eyes flutter closed and her breath breathe in the fresh, cool, crisp air. 

Sara’s dad had called her for an ‘ _ immediate problem’ _ , leaving Felicity with no ride to work. Knowing she had no other option, Felicity had reluctantly made her way over to the tree, knowing that there would be one person who would drive her acrosst the country if she asked. 

Sure as the stick in a machine, the manly footsteps of that one person crunched against the fall leaves, Felicity opening her eyes and looking up to find Oliver staring down at her, changed out of his baseball uniform. Bummer.

“Back here again?” Oliver asked tentatively, and Felicity shrugged. He still thought that she was mad at him.  _ Good, let him think it _ . At the same time, it made her feel almost guilty. 

“Knew you’d come by,” Felicity said, heaving a penny when she realised just how creepy that sounded. “Not in a stalker way, I just knew that was your car and you were still changing after the game,” Felicity breathed out. Few. “My dry mouth aside, I do need a ride to work,” Felicity relented, knowing he would have asked her anyways. 

“Work, this late?” Oliver asked, and Felicity stood, pulling her bag over her shoulder and smoothing out the semi-wrinkles in her waitress skirt that she had changed in to while she was waiting for Oliver’s game to finish. 

“Bills got to be paid,” Felicity decided on, the two reaching the boy’s car, Felicity steeping in to the front seat after Oliver opened the door for her. “Congrats, by the way,” Felicity said when Oliver fired up the engine. 

“Thanks,” Oliver said, and Felicity kept her mouth closed, looking out the window instead. His car was nice, but it seemed that everything the Queen’s owned was nice. Hell, his own genetics or hair gel were probably blessed by the gods. “It was nice to get a win for our first game.” 

Felicity nodded, not looking away from the window. The glades landscape came into the view, the buildings of Starling zooming by, Felicity finding herself in her old city with her mom back before they lost all their money and were forced to move. Apparently owning property in Felicity’s old town was a ‘ _ man’s job’.  _

“What’s your brain blabbering about?” Oliver inquired, not in a snarky way, more curious. Felicity turned her head from the window to look at him. 

“Thinking about the past life,” Felicity stated, Oliver raising a brow but not saying anything. “You’ll learn it when you earn it, Mr. Queen,” Felicity joked, and Oliver smiled, letting out a chuckle, taking that sharp turn onto the street of the diner, the diner lights flashing. 

Oliver pulled up right in front of the building, Felicity getting out and looking back at the car. “Thanks again,” Felicity said, knowing she probably would owe him a crazy debt in gas by the end of the year. 

Oliver bobbed his head before pulling off the side, u-turning to head back the way he came. It wasn’t until five minutes later that Felicity realised she was still standing on the front steps, watching where Oliver’s car zoomed off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glossary:  
> -burd: partner (relationship)  
> -smog in your noggin': memory loss  
> -Blastin': cool   
> -ticklin' for: in the mood for  
> -Righto: okay   
> -Daddy-O: term of address


	5. You'll Never Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity both talk to their mother's and plan for the annual doo-wop with their significant others. Oliver attempts to right himself with Felicity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter, on time? You must be dreaming! I'm actually quite proud of myself for having this ready on time. Hope everyone enjoys. This chapter is more of a build up, and the next one will be quite chaotic.   
> Come chat with me on tumblr @AKBruce

**5: You’ll Never Know**

_ You went away and my heart went with you _

_ I speak your name in my every prayer _

_ If there is some other way to prove that I love you _

_ I swear I don't know how _

_ You'll never know if you don't know now _

Oliver wanted Laurel gone. Who knew, maybe it was an impulse feeling. But, nonetheless, Oliver was so tired of how snarkier and more attached she got day by day. He wasn’t one to particularly  _ support _ social norms, considering he was into Felicity, but Laurel wasn’t be a pleasing girlfriend at all. 

In all honestly, Oliver and Laurel had always had their ups and downs, but Oliver sometimes wondered why he didn’t just let it go. Would his parents not approve? 

The fall doo-wop dance had come upon the school, it happening the next weekend, only a few days away. It was a swing, per the usual, the happy couple had decided that they would go in an ‘ocean themed’ pairing because that’s what Laurel’s newest skirt was decorated in. 

The school always had the pairs somewhat required to have a theme between the two. And, if one wasn’t going with a person of the other sex, then they probably wouldn’t end up attending, unless they thought they may get picked up there. 

Tommy had decided to ask Nyssa, who had been please. Oliver had heard down the rumour mill that Felicity was going with Palmer, and Sara with some other grease with a name of Leonard or something. Thea would also be attending, since the grease, that their parents despised, Thea liked was in high school. 

Oliver was never the type to get excited for dances. He wasn’t a dancer type of person, and he surely wasn’t a super ‘matching outfits’ kind of person. But, Laurel was into both, so Oliver found himself attending almost ever dance in Starling City. 

What Oliver did want to do at the doo-wop was dance with Felicity. Or, just be around her, really. He missed her. Which was ridiculous, and Oliver knew this for a fact, but couldn’t control the definite feeling of missing. And yes, he had the manliness to admit that he missed her curves as well. 

“Ollie, did you hear any of that?” Laurel pulled him out of his thoughts, snapping in his face. Oliver looked up from his bed to Laurel, who was across the room, posing in the new ocean themed outfit she had bought specifically for the dance. 

“Sorry, baseball’s been tiring me out. Can you repeat?” Laurel tsked, but made her way over to him and sat herself on the bed right next to him. She reached her arm out and slowly began rubbing his shoulders and back. 

“I’m being to hard about this, aren’t I?” Laurel asked, and Oliver felt a tinge of guilt in his stomach. He wasn’t returning his duties as a boyfriend either. 

“No, baby, not at all,” Oliver tried to reassure, and Laurel took it, smiling. 

“Alright. Well in that case, how ‘bout I pick out your outfit for you?” Laurel said it in a way that was supposed to sound like she was being helpful, but Oliver knew she’d end up picking the outfit out anyways. 

“Thanks, babe. You’re more in orbit than me, anyways,”Oliver said, but Laurel had already disappeared into his closet. Maybe she wasn’t that bad. Oliver fell back on his bed in exasperation.  _ Why was life so hard on him like this? _

About five minutes later Laurel emerged with some random clothes, Oliver sitting up to see her setting them down on his desk, all folded and nice. “I hope those fit, Ollie.” 

Oliver laid back down, slumping his arms limply at his side. He heard a zip, clothes fumbling, another zip, and then Laurel laid next to him with the skirt she had worn the day back on. 

“Oh, Ollie, it’ll be fun, I promise,” Laurel said, and Oliver turned on his side to look at her before climbing above her. “Ollie! Your parents!” Laurel exclaimed, and Oliver shrugged, closing the space between them, shushing her objections with his lips. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

“Home!” Felicity hollered into the house, honestly not knowing if her mom was at work or not. She wasn’t supposed to be, but her mom had been working crazy overtime lately. Felicity didn’t really know why, there wasn’t anything they were in drastic need of. 

Felicity put her bookbag down at their old table, immediately jumping up and practically wrestle smashing her body into the couch, pulling the knitted blanket up over her body. 

Just then a familiar  loud crash came from the next room, and Felicity giggled to herself, hearing her mom let out a string of curses from the room next to hers. 

“Felicity, sweetie, I swear that dumb bedframe is going to be the death of me,” Donna Smoak declared, emerging in her full waitress attire and makeup. She closed the door, approaching her daughter and seating herself on the arm of the chair, stroking Felicity’s blonde locks. 

“Long shift tonight?” Felicity asked, almost crossing her fingers her mom would say no. Since Felicity had time off, she really wanted to spend some time, just her and her mother. 

“Yeah, Merlyn’s been working me over hours and saying if I don’t finish the shifts I’ll get demoted,” Donna rolled her eyes, and Felicity propped herself on her arm to look at her mom. 

“It’s a man’s world,” Felicity muttered, and her mom saluted, both of them laughing. 

“But, that reminds me sweetie, over hours have helped for one thing…” Donna drifted off, jogging into the kitchen and back to the couch, a black box in her hands. “This is for you,” Donna held it out to her daughter, and Felicity looked down at the box, flabbergasted. Her mom  _ never _ had enough to get gifts for her. 

Reluctantly, Felicity took the box, opening it and pulling out the contents. “Mom! You didn’t!” Felicity practically shrieked, and her mom nodded continuesly. 

Back when the two ladies had moved to Starling, they had gone thrift shopping for some new clothes, and Felicity had spotted this beautiful black and bubblegum pink top and skirt set. Of course, they couldn’t afford it at the time, but here it was, sitting in her lap. 

“I did sweetie, I did!” Donna’s joy at her daughter’s excitement set Felicity off and she attacked her mom with a hug, tears welling in her eyes. 

“You are the best, Donna Smoak,” Felicity declared, and she could hear her mother sniffling as well. 

“I was thinking you’d wear it to the doo-wop this weekend. Ray and Oliver will rip each other to shreds after they see you in that,” Donna commented, and Felicity couldn’t help but grin. “Annnnd, I am about to be late for work. See you love, don’t wait for me for dinner,” Donna said, before quickly hurrying out the door. 

Felicity laid back down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

“You know Oliver, someday I, or some other lovely lady, is going to tell an authority figure that you’re a creepy stalker who won’t leave others alone, and they’re going to send you off to the next war or something!” Felicity professed, giving him a pointed look. Oliver really didn’t understand why she was being so difficult with this.

“Felicity, hear me out,” Oliver tried, as Felicity stalked away from him a few more steps.  _ This was not going to plan _ . All he wanted was for her to go in his group, as friends.  _ What was the big problem with trying to break social norms? _

“Oliver, I’m going to miss my ride with Sara,” Felicity said, turning to him, an exasperated look on her face. Oliver contorted his face, trying to find a new way to ask her to come in his group to the dance. “You are the only person in that group who could even tolerate me. None of your other kiddos want me there. Let it be,” Felicity said for probably the third time, Oliver opening and closing his mouth. 

“I’m sure they could begin to like you...” Oliver tried once more, and Felicity threw her hands in the air.

“Oliver, they already think and know I’m a total fream, and Laurel hates me!” Felicity practically shouted at him, Oliver cringing. “Besides, would the rest of your group want Ray, Sara, and the rest of us greases?” Felicity pointed out, and Oliver winced at how high her tone was. 

She spun and her bookbag flew over her shoulder dramatically, those hips sauntering off in an angry matter. Oliver ran his hands through his hair and then down his head, his mind so frustrated.  _ Why did it have to end up like this? _

“Oliver, dude, was that Donna’s daughter?” Cam Tommy’s voice, and Oliver turned to look at his best friend, who was obviously trying to hold in laughter. “She just clutched you so hard, dude,” Tommy joked, and Oliver punched him in the shoulder, enough to make him shut up. 

“You wouldn’t mind if she came with the group, would you?” Oliver asked, and Tommy shrugged. Tommy was the kind of guy that was okay with really anything. It was one of the reasons him and Oliver got along so well. 

“She probably won’t even have time. My dad’s been overworking his employees like crazy,” Tommy commented, and the two began to walk towards the parking lot. “He’s been acting so weird lately,” he added, though Oliver felt like he was talking more to himself and less to Oliver. 

“Weirder than usual?” Oliver pointed out, and Tommy nodded, stepping over the giant curb that outlined the parking lot. 

“He’s never home and he always seems to be in the glades at the diner. I don’t know what happened, but he’s never shown this much interest in the diner before,” Tommy said, and Oliver shrugged, unlocking his machine. 

“Maybe he’s got the hots for one of the waitresses,” Oliver suggested half-heartedly, visually seeing Tommy shudder. 

“Thanks for that,” Tommy said sarcastically, getting into his car at the same time Oliver got into his. Thank heavens for no friday baseball practice.

\-->\--><\--<\--

“Ollie, can we have a chat?” Oliver groaned internally, looking up from his desk to see none other than his lovely mother standing at the doorway of his room, her clothes a deep red today, along with her hair weaved together.  _ How could she think with her hair so tight? _ She probably didn’t think, since she had married Robert Queen. 

“Yeah ma, what’s buzzin’?” Oliver asked, and her mom walked into his room, situating herself in the fold up chair he kept next to his desk. She patted out the wrinkles in her threads and then looked up at Oliver with a serious look. 

“Laurel and I had a chat,” Moira started, and Oliver dropped his pen on the desk, raking one hand through his hair. “I also happened to overhear your conversation with Thea,” Moira added, and Oliver sighed, not bothering to hide it.  _ Why? _

“Have I committed a crime?” Oliver asked in the most innocent way possible, and Moira tsked at him. There was no way he was getting out of this without giving up the whole truth. Moira Queen  _ always _ got what she wanted, no exceptions. 

“As the firstborn son, and a Queen, you have a  _ huge _ amount of pressure on you, and your father and I realise this,” Moira said, and Oliver could taste the ‘but’, “But, it is my job to worry about the image of our family, and I cannot have you traipsing around with some low class waitress.” 

His mom straightened, and Oliver shook his head. He knew he couldn’t mention Thea’s Roy because his mom thought he was in their class, so Oliver was stuck. “I’m sorry mom, but you don’t get to hand select who I choose as my friends. Besides, times are changing.”

Moira stood, folding the chair up and leaning it against his desk, once against brushing her dress out.. “When the times have officially changed, your father and I will be happy to offer our blessings,” Moira said, making her way to the doorway, only to turn her head once more, “But, until then, you better hope Laurel will want to stick with you, even after we’ve put you in your place.”

With that, his mother cascaded off into the hallway. Oliver turned back to his desk, his chin practically chilling on the ground.  _ Had his own mother threatened to throw him out for falling for someone of a lower class? _

Oliver growled, bringing his fist down against the desk, before getting up and punching the wall a few times.  _ How could his family openly treat him like this? _

He sighed, pulling his brain together. He would figure out a way to make Felicity his friend until the times had changed. He didn’t even know why, but he needed her.

\-->\--><\--<\--

Felicity sauntered out of her mom’s room, her new skirt flaring out around her. She looked towards her couch, where Ray was laid down. “Well?” Felicity asked, doing a little twirl just to be dramatic. Ray raised his eyes. 

“Baby,” Ray half-taunted, standing up and coming to tower over her. “You kind of look like a soc,” he commented, and Felicity snorted, patting his cheek before turning towards the kitchen. 

“Wow, I’m bustin’ a gut over here,” She said, grabbing the pop Ray had brought over and taking a swig. “You have anything you could match to it for the doo-wop tomorrow?” Felicity asked, turning back to look at him. 

Ray considered, making his way towards the kitchen and stopping at the other side of the old table. “I think I have something pink, definitely black,” Ray stated, and Felicity giggled.  _ Of course he has something black. _

“Thank you, by the way, for coming. I know you don’t really like dances, so I appreciate you going for me. Er, I guess not just for me- since our whole friend group is going to be there, but you know what I mean,” Felicity ramble-thanked, actually meaning it.  _ It meant she wouldn’t have to sit and stare at the happy couple that was Laurel and Oliver. _

“Well, when I find a good baby, I got to keep her happy,” Ray said, coming over to where she was standing and pulling her waist up against his body. 

“Ray, I’m still in my new outfit!” Felicity protested, and Ray chuckled, that glint that she never really understood as bad or good coming into his eye. 

“I can rearrange that,” Ray promised, and Felicity’s cheeks reddened. 

“Alright, alright, I have work soon, calm yourself down,” Felicity said, putting a hand on his chest. “We’ll have plenty of time to get all heaty-heaty later. And, yes, I did just say heaty-heaty. Guess I’m really far out,” Felicity tilted her head, realising she was thinking out loud. 

“You’re so hot, and then your mouth runs wild and my erection runs away,” Ray mumbled to her, and Felicity slapped his chest, making her way over to her mom’s roo0m to change. 

“If you don’t like my rambling, then you don’t like me,” She retorted over her shoulder before slamming the door to her moms room shut and leaning back against the door. 

The first time she’d rambled to Oliver, he hadn’t judged her at all, only told her it was cute, never once cutting her off. Felicity sighed. The doo-wop was going to be a long,  _ long,  _ dance. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glossary:  
> -in orbit: in the know, up to culture  
> -fream: weirdo  
> -grease: poorer, lower class person  
> -what's buzzin'?: What's up?   
> -soc: rich, higher class person  
> -bustin' a gut: laughing extremely hard


	6. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity both attend the school dance. Felicity finds herself inconveniently stuck between a male square-up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter a day early?? Just couldn't wait to put it up, honestly. I really like this one, so I hope everyone enjoys! This chapter is also a bit longer than my normal length, so enjoy that.  
> Chat with me @ AKBruce on Tumblr!

**6: Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On**

_ Come along my baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on _

_ Yes, I said come along my baby, baby you can't go wrong _

_ We ain't fakin', whole lotta shakin' goin' on _

_ Well, I said come along my baby, we got chicken in the barn _

_ Woo-huh, come along my baby, really got the bull by the horn _

_ We ain't fakin', whole lotta shakin' goin' on _

Felicity twirled Sara’s blondey-brown locks up in a twist, bunning the twist and pinning it down to her head, right next to the identical one on the other side of her head. “Do you want me to twist up the bottom, or shall we leave it down to flow?” 

“Be a bit far out if we let it flow, but I think it’ll do nicely,” Sara commented, looking at the tiny hand mirror on her desk. Sara had said the whole group could get themselves ready at her house, since it was the nicest out of all of them. 

“Blastin’!” Felicity clapped her hands together, letting the final pin rest on the crown of Sara’s head and grabbing the hair spray, coating it on her hair. “Ready to do mine?” Felicity asked, not trying to hide her excitement. Sara’s hair always looked great, and Felicity had always wanted Sara to do her own. 

“You betcha,” Sara replied, and Felicity squealed, clapping her hands like a young child and sitting down on the seat in front of the mirror, Sara staring into it and posing with her hair. Felicity giggled, tugging Sara’s hands onto her hair. 

At first, Felicity had felt skeptical, not really  _ in the mood _ to go to a dance with someone she wasn’t really dedicated to, but Sara had gotten her all excited by talking about all the good things that came along with dances, like doing hair and makeup. 

So, when Sara had offered up her house for the group to get ready at, Felicity had hopped on, glad she didn’t have to use the tiny mirror in the small little bathroom in her house. Of course, that meant that Felicity then had to face actually  _ attending and dancing _ with Ray, but she was taking it a step at a time. 

Felicity pulled herself out of her thoughts when Sara took a sharp tug against her hair, followed by the throbbing push of a bobby pin. “I think you just pinned my hair to my brain,” Felicity commented, and watched as Sara rolled her eyes in the hand mirror Felicity had placed in her lap.

“Are we doing yours like mine, or are we doing it the out of this universe Felicity Smoak style?” Sara inquired, and Felicity shrugged. “Let’s do the original,” Sara decided and Felicity almost nodded, but thought otherwise, not wanting to pull her hair out of her head. 

In a short amount of time, Felicity’s hair was done, in the most Felicity Smoak way, two curvy braids being pulled into two seperate high buns, with half down and curled. Sara had commented that it almost look as if she had two cheerleading palm palms on her head. 

The two made their way out from Sara’s room, coming to see Leonard, Ray, and Roy, all chilling together, chatting it up with Sara’s dad, who Felicity had already decided was one of the wisest men she’d ever spoken to. 

Ray was the first to notice their approach, and he gave Felicity a once over before meeting her eyes and giving her the mischievous glint in his features. Leonard walked over to Sara, twirling her and pulling her over to talk to her dad. 

Felicity looked back to Ray and attempted the most happy-go-lucky smile she could, hiding all her emotions about how she had wished the night would actually go behind it. Ray pulled her closer, his big hands running up her arms, sending a chill down her spine. She attempted to get into it, but was quickly pulled away by a loud cough coming from Roy. 

“Calm down there,” Roy commented, and Felicity stuck her tongue out at him, but backed off from Ray a tad. “We should get going,” He added, and Sara nodded, the whole group heading towards Sara and Roy’s two cars. Sara’s father followed them out, offering both Felicity and Sara cautious words, which Felicity took gladly. It was nice to have a father figure fussing over her. 

Ray grabbed Felicity’s arm and pulled, Felicity swatting his hand and half-stumbling in her slight heels towards Roy’s car. He opened the back door, and Felicity stepped in, Ray getting in the front seat next to Roy, leaving Felicity in the back by herself. 

She sighed silently, already not looking forward to the dance. Ray hadn’t even said anything about her new dress or look, as if that wasn’t what he liked about her at all. But what could she do?  _ It’s not worth pushing back against. _ Felicity decided, and inhaled deeply, feeling more ready to go dance the night away. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

“Boppin’!” Laurel exclaimed, seconds after she and Oliver had made their way into the little building where the dance was being held, Oliver letting her run ahead to check out the area with Nyssa. 

Tommy stayed back as well, motioning Oliver towards an empty corner, Oliver following his friend in that direction. The music was semi-loud, and there was a skirt flying everywhere Oliver looked. Guys were dancing as well, their coats unbuttoned, their dolly’s threading through their large arms. 

“Nyssa and Laurel go and scope?” Tommy asked as the two finally found an unoccupied space towards the wall. Oliver nodded, and Tommy turned his head back towards the dance. 

Oliver let his eyes wander, though it wasn’t long before they found exactly what they had been wandering for, even if Oliver hadn’t made any intention. 

There she was, her hair up in that special way that no one Soc would ever dare to do, her pink accented black top going in and out of Oliver’s view and Ray spun her on the dance floor.  _ Even Ray danced. _ Oliver scoffed, not meaning to, Tommy giving him a single brow. 

“Tommy, do you dance?” Oliver settled on asked, and Tommy’s brow seemed to shoot up higher. He crossed his arms, as if he was considering the question, and Oliver waited. 

“Well, depends on the circumstance,” Tommy finally said, and Oliver nodded.  _ What if this was Oliver’s circumstance?  _ Oliver looked to the crowd of people once more, spotting Felicity, except this time she was doing some swing step with Sara. There was a bright smile on her face, and though she hadn’t even noticed him yet, Oliver took it as a challenge.  _ I’ll make her wish she was dancing with me _ . 

Just then, Laurel was in front of him, launching herself up against his body, his eyes dragging down to look at her. “Ollie, come on, just one dance?” Laurel begged, and in the corner of Oliver’s eye he spotted Tommy and Nyssa already making their way out onto the floor, the song switching from swing to more pop. 

Oliver took a deep breath. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how, his mom would never allow that. It just always felt silly, like he was doing something that society expected guy’s like him to be perfect at. 

“Alright. Let’s dance,” Oliver finally spat out, and Laurel’s face brightened, her eyes widening in a happy surprise, colour blooming across her face. Her joy made Oliver even more confident. So what, maybe he did want to dance with Laurel. 

They made their way out onto the dance floor, Laurel practically dragging him through moving bodies until they were next to Tommy and Nyssa, who were laughing like crazy. Oliver smiled. Tommy had never been the best dancer. 

Oliver felt the beat and then took Laurel’s hand, swinging her to the music, Laurel gladly going with it. Oliver almost laughed right then and there. They were probably the depiction of what a rich couple dancing looked like. His ma might even have to step aside for Miss Laurel Lance. 

But then, halfway through Oliver’s second dance, when Laurel and Nyssa traded, and Oliver found himself twirling Nyssa for a few seconds, Oliver spotted Felicity, all up against Ray, her eyes ablaze. 

And, of course, it was in that moment that, at the same time, her eyes settled on him, just as Laurel came back, pushing against him for one of the more difficult and personal combos. 

Time seemed to slow, and Oliver just felt himself staring into Felicity’s eyes while she stared straight back, Laurel not even present, Ray’s body pushed against Felicity in a different world. It was just them, and Oliver wanted to run over and sweep her up into a dance. He was sure she was an amazing dancer, you had to be if you wanted to be a waitress. 

Unfortunately, time caught up with the two, and Felicity broke eye contact first and Ray yanked her closer to him, something tightening in Oliver’s stomach. Felicity didn’t show any frustration on her face, though, so Oliver looked back down at Laurel, who hadn’t even noticed his moment. 

The song switched, and Oliver found himself listening to the booming voice of whoever was leading the event. ‘Hello Starling High! Enjoying your night?” A loud cheer emerged from Oliver’s classmates, and he held in a snort. “Now’s the time of the night where we ask all upperclassmen to please find another upperclasswomen and to invite her to dance, but it must be one you did not come with. Now, mingle! The song will begin shortly.” 

Oliver knit his brows. He had almost forgotten about this tradition. His eyes automatically shot to Nyssa, but she was already being snagged by one of the guys from her archery class. Tommy had grabbed Laurel, and the two were whispering to each other. 

Oliver’s eyes stretched across the room, and there she was, still by herself, her eyes looking towards the ground. Ray was nowhere near, and she seemed to not have found a dance partner left. Not letting his brain stop him, Oliver made his way over. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

Felicity didn’t allow herself to have a shred of sadness about Ray immediately ditching her when they announced to find someone you didn’t bring. She just took a deep breath and moved on, as she had promised herself she would do and continue to do for what felt like the rest of her highschool career. 

“Felicity,” Felicity’s head shot up, and her eyes found none other than Oliver Queen looming over her in that way that made her insides feel the need to combust. His face was relaxed, and he didn’t seem to be shook up about his Laurel ditching him at all. 

“Wow, so you did make the scene,” Felicity observed, and Oliver’s face tightened in what Felicity felt was the attempt to hold back his laughter. She leaned back on her heels once. “What can I do for you? Or- I mean, that came out poorly. Hi?” 

Oliver smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes.  _ Why was he acting so weird? _ Felicity didn’t move, waiting for him to either leave or say something and to  _ stop staring into her eyes. _ “Wanna dance?”

Felicity’s brows shot up, probably looking like she was surprised in a bad way, though she was sure it was her body feeling utter shock. Her stomach immediately became queasy, and she nodded. Oliver Queen wanted to dance with  _ her? _ “Sure, lead the way.” 

Oliver then took Felicity’s hand, shooting fireworks that extended across her body, starting from her fingertips and ending at the edges of her toes. She felt like a fool. Oliver Queen touched her hand and she was turned on?  _ How desperate had she become? _

He led her onto the dance floor, keeping the pair in the more outer-section. To Felicity, it made sense. Why would he want anyone to see that the partner he chose was a filthy Glade’s resident? 

She took his hand and went to take the proper,  _ formal  _ way that one would dance with someone who wasn’t their significant other, shocked when he didn’t take her other hand but instead wrapped one arm around her waist and took her hand with his other. It was a much more intimate swing position, and it made Felicity float. 

He didn’t say anything, so she decided to keep quiet as well, and the two just slowly swung to the beat, Felicity amazed at just how good of a dancer Oliver was. Sure, anyone could clasp hands and move to a beat, but Oliver didn’t move to the beat, he moved  _ with _ it. 

“Why are you making that face?” Oliver asked, and Felicity blinked herself out of her haze of admiration, looking up at Oliver to meet his eyes. He looked content, and Felicity wanted to take a mental picture of his smile so she could pull it out whenever she felt sour. 

“What face? I’m not making any face,” Felicity was quick to defend herself, Oliver’s smile growing. She unscrunched her brows, about to make a jab at him considering how he was teasing her. 

“No, whenever you’re deep in thought or concerned your brows scrunch up like they just were,” Oliver noticed, and Felicity’s jaw dropped. How had he noticed that?  _ No one had noticed that since her mom in grade school.  _ She grinned, not even meaning to. 

“Nah, nothing wrong. Just thinking about how you continuously decide to shock me,” Felicity remarked. “Or, who knows, maybe you don’t even decide to, and just manage to.” 

Oliver’s eyes lit, like a large wave had just hit it’s crest and splashed on the sand. He leaned closer to her, and parted his lips to whisper something in her ear just as the voice came over the music once more. “Alright, that concludes the dance with a lady you didn’t bring dance. Everyone can return to their burd’s and dance to this line song!”

Felicity frowned. The world obviously felt like it needed to define the phrase ‘poor timing.’ Oliver’s smile shrunk slowly, and Felicity suddenly felt an arm against her shoulder, tugging hard enough to hurt. She whipped her head back to see Ray, whose eyes were angry, his brow’s as well. 

“Felicity, what are you doing with this rich shit?” Felicity frowned once more. “Come on, stop being difficult,” Ray pushed, and she reluctantly released Oliver’s hand and shoulder, letting Ray pull her away, too ashamed to look back at Oliver. She didn’t make it far though, because Oliver had decided to  _ not  _ let go of her hand, so Ray’s tugging made useless, and Felicity felt like a saturday morning cartoon character. 

“Queen, let go of my girl,” Ray snarled, and Felicity cringed at the way Ray said ‘my’, as if he  _ owned  _ her. Which, Felicity was sure he did not. 

Felicity looked back at Oliver, whose grip on her hand just tightened as he pulled Felicity more in his direction. So, Felicity sat, helpless, unable to stop Oliver from making any irrational decisions over her, as he uttered the two-letter word she was scared of. “No.” 

\-->\--><\--<\--

“What was that?”

Oliver wanted to crack his knuckles and take a hit at Palmer’s ugly face, but that would require him to let go of Felicity’s hand, and he wasn’t planning on down that anytime soon. 

“You heard me,” Oliver replied, and Palmer growled like the dog he was, his grip on Felicity’s other hand and shoulder tightening. Her eyelids fluttered, and Oliver could tell he was gripping her painfully. 

“You have your own little doll, go fight over her with someone. Leave mine alone,” Palmer drove harder, and Oliver just pulled Felicity closer, making sure he wasn’t pulling her too hard. She had a pleading look in her eyes that practically seemed to beg for him to let it go, but Oliver wasn’t ready to let Palmer treat her like this, whether she wanted his help or not. 

“Not until you start respecting her,” Oliver brokered, and Felicity’s face tightened. He knew that look. She didn’t want a big fight. 

“Oliver, leave it alone, it’s not worth it,” Felicity let out quietly, and Oliver softened at her tone. She sounded splintered, as if she had just  _ come to terms _ with the poor treatment that she got from Palmer. Oliver’s face automatically hardened again. She should  _ not  _ feel like that. 

“Are you accusing me of disrespecting what’s  _ mine? _ Last I checked, she was  _ my  _ baby, and was happily with me,” Palmer shot back, and Oliver inhaled, keeping himself from baring his teeth. He was sophisticated, he was high class. 

“She’s no one’s except herself’s,” Oliver pointed out, and Palmer’s head whipped to look at Felicity who barely nodded, her face showing she agreed with Oliver, her word’s obviously unable to come out, which was rare for Felicity. 

“Fine, whatever. Let’s go, babe,” Palmer said, taking the few steps it took to be square in front of Oliver, the two practically the same height, though Oliver had a bit more meat on him then Palmer. Palmer grabbed Oliver’s hand that was holding Felicity’s, and he unwound Oliver’s finger’s, Oliver releasing Felicity’s hand. 

“If I see you acting like this again, you will deal with more than just unwinding my fingers,” Oliver half-promised half-threatened, just as Palmer was pulling Felicity away. Palmer turned his head to look at Oliver at that comment, giving Oliver a  _ this isn’t finished _ glare before disappearing into the crowd, Felicity dragging behind him. 

Oliver released a large breath, just as Tommy and Laurel made their way over, Laurel giving Oliver a  _ ‘what did you do this time?’ _ look, Tommy with a single eyebrow raised. 

Oliver sighed deeply. This night was definitely one for the memory. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glossary:  
> -far out: ahead of it's time  
> -Blastin': Cool  
> -Boppin': hip, exciting  
> -make the scene: show up to an event  
> -burd: girlfriend  
> -doll: term for girlfriend, not uplifting


	7. Hound Dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity and Ray have a fight, Sara swoops in with a save. Oliver talks to Tommy about Merlyn, and Tommy goes to a source.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm late, sorry loves. My actual life's been getting in the way, curse it. But, there's still a chapter, so yay! Sorry, no huge Olicity scenes, but the next chapter's got those covered. :)  
> Chat with me! @AKBruce on tumblr!

**7: Hound Dog**

_ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog _

_ Cryin' all the time _

_ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog _

_ Cryin' all the time _

_ Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine _

Felicity reeled back, throwing her hands in front of her. Her cheek was heated, and she took a defensive stance before slowly lifting her hand up to her heated cheek. “What the  _ frack _ , Ray?!” Felicity screamed, shoving her boyfriend away from her. 

His eyes stayed bright, his hand still in the air, the faint red glow on it. He dropped his hand a second later, Felicity cupping her heated cheek, the pain slowly fading away. Ray shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal, as if he hadn’t just  _ slapped his girlfriend _ , passing Felicity and walking towards her front door. 

“I don’t  _ ever  _ want to see you with Queen again. Catch my drift?” Ray demanded, and Felicity’s eyes widened in disbelief. Ray put his palm on the doorknob and twisted, about to walk out the door when he turned back to her. “If you tell Sara, a heated cheek won’t be the worst problem. You obey your boyfriend, since you seem to have forgotten just what a woman’s job is.” 

He was already out the door when his last words were released, Felicity staring at the ajar door in utter shock, her hand dropping from her cheek, which was just slightly throbbing. Numbly, she walked to the door and slammed it closed.  _ What had she gotten herself into? _

Releasing a large sigh that decided to stubbornly turn into a sniffle, Felicity made her way to the fridge, pulling out on of the single cubes of ice in the freezer, pressing it against her cheek. She then made her way over to her couch, sitting down, finally allowing the tears to flow. 

It wasn’t the pain, she had endured worse pain than a slap to the cheek. It was more the reasoning. She knew that what Ray had said was societal norms, but she still felt like she hadn’t deserved to be hit, and wouldn’t ever deserve to be hit, no matter what she did. She would never hit him if he displeased her. Which, considering, he already had, multiple times. 

The ice cube became a pool of water in the palm of her hand, mixing in with her silent sobs. She sighed, taking a deep breath that did  _ nothing _ to sooth her emotions, but did calm the sobs a bit. 

Abruptly, the door burst open, and Felicity’s head whipped up, terrified that it would be Ray coming back for more. Instead, it was Sara, her cheeks still red from all the dancing, her hair slightly messy due to her shorter hairs falling out. 

“Felicity?” Sara asked, and Felicity raised her tear-stained cheeks to look at her best friend. Sara ran over to the couch, making it in a few quick strides before throwing herself next to Felicity on the couch. “Sweetie, what’s wrong?” 

Felicity shrugged, Ray’s words of what would happen if she told Sara echoing through her head. Sara raised her brows, waiting, until slowly realising that Felicity wasn’t going to say anything. 

Reaching up, Sara pulled Felicity’s hand off of her cheek, gasping, causing Felicity’s tears to appear again. “That b-bad?” Felicity choked out, snot pouring out of her nose. Sara picked up a napkin off the stack Felicity kept next to her couch, since the Smoak women couldn’t afford tissues, and handed it to Felicity, who blew her nose like a trumpet. 

“Not at all,” Sara murmured, running her hand across Felicity’s wet cheek, Felicity flinching when Sara’s hand landed on the point of impact. “F, please, please, tell me this didn’t come from what I think it did.” 

Felicity’s tears grew, and she saw Sara’s face darken from the corner of her eye, her vision so blurry that she had no idea just how angry Sara’s face looked. “H-He s-said that-t if-if I-I-I-” Felicity choked off in a sob, and Sara sshed, wrapping her arms around Felicity, her touch extremely comforting. 

So, Felicity stopped trying to spit words out and just leaned her whole weight into her best friend, Sara not seeming to mind. After a few minutes, Felicity’s sobs had calmed down, and her breathing was a bit more even, so she lifted her head up to look at Sara. “Why are you even here?” 

Sara laughed, and Felicity normally would’ve apologized for sounding so snarky, but she just didn’t care enough in the moment. “I saw you and Ray leave early, so I had my dad go home and drove here instead. Figure I’ll stay the night.” 

Felicity nodded, and Sara handed her another napkin. Felicity took it without question, blowing her nose once more, her breathing even less uneven now. “Thank you for coming.” 

“You’re welcome,” Sara said genuinely, brushing a piece of Felicity’s undone hair behind her ear. “How ‘bout we go lay down in your mom’s bed? She won’t mind, right?” Sara offered, and Felicity nodded. Her mom had a late shift anyway, so when she got home she probably would just collapse on Felicity’s couch after seeing Sara’s car.  

Silently, Sara stood, gently pulling Felicity up as well, her arm supporting under Felicity’s arm, though she probably didn’t need to offer that much support. Felicity didn’t argue though, she just let Sara guide her over to her mom’s bed and sit her down, unpinning the remaining pins in her hair before tucking her in. Sara then flipped off the light, laying down next to her.

Felicity passed out right as her head hit the pillow, the last image in her mind before falling asleep being Sara laying across from her. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

“Dude, is the only snack food present in this house chips?” Oliver hollered from Tommy’s kitchen at his best friend, searching for some popcorn or  _ anything _ but the same chips they’d had the past three days they hung out. 

“I hid the popcorn on the floor underneath the rice!” Tommy yelled back from the living room, and Oliver checked, surprised when the bag was actually there. Oliver opened the bag, already throwing some in his mouth while he made his way towards the living room where Tommy was lounging. 

“Why did you hide it?” Oliver asked, bouncing down on the couch next to Tommy, putting his feet up on the ottoman, Tommy reaching for the television remote on the arm of the chair next to the couch. 

“Dad’s been devouring it lately, or something of that sort,” Tommy said, and Oliver look to his best friend, raising his eyebrows. “Dude, he just keeps getting weirder.”

Tommy flipped on the television, Oliver watching the screen as Tommy absentmindedly skimmed channels. “I’ll ask Felicity,” Oliver blurted, and Tommy stopped flipping through the channels. 

“Awh, your hipster. The one who works at the diner, no?” Tommy inquired and Oliver rolled his eyes, Tommy continuing to channel surf until hitting the sports channel. 

“She’s not  _ my  _ anything, besides friend,” Oliver reminded, and Tommy waved him off.  _ Why did he even bother arguing? It’s not like his friend’s opinion would change. _ “And yeah, she’s observant, so if something was weird with your dad she might know.”

Tommy shrugged. If Tommy felt that something was up with Merlyn, Oliver had a pretty strong feeling that something was up, considering how well Tommy read people. Tommy never made a point to show it, but he noticed  _ everything. Unlike Oliver _ . 

Oliver sighed, leaning his body further back and throwing a handful of popcorn in his mouth. At least he’d have an excuse to talk to Felicity, though it might not go down the way he’d want it to. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

“Oliver Queen, if you don’t stop right now, I’m dumping you!” Oliver paused, pivoting on his heel to turn back and look at Laurel, who had followed him, complaining, all the way out to his car. “Hmm, though that might stop you.”

Oliver sighed. The whole day Oliver had been ecstatic about having the day off from baseball, meaning he could find a way or time to go talk to Felicity, especially since he had a purpose, but now Laurel was in his way.

Honestly, Oliver wanted to dump her. He wanted to let her go and never pay her another second of attention. He wanted to keep going so that Laurel would dump him. 

But, of course, his dumb common sense made him stop, waiting for Laurel’s quick legs to prance her way over to him. 

“Are you avoiding me?” Laurel asked, and Oliver shook his head, placing his hands around her waist. She balanced her chin on his chest and looked up at him, her eyes big. “You seemed mad, sorry.”

Oliver shook his head once more and then forced a small smile on his face. “Just busy, that’s all. Actually got to go home and finish some work. See ya?” Oliver half-stated, half-asked. Laurel nodded, and Oliver released her waist, turning on his heel once more to head to his car, his determination returned. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

Felicity kicked the swinging door open and held it ajar with her feet, turning her body sideways and navigating through the doorway with a tray on each palm, one full of shakes and the other full of burgers.

She walked to the first table, placing the drinks down and giving the couple a smile, heading back to the drink counter and stacking that tray on top of the growing pile. She then swung her way through the tables to the very back of the diner, setting the burgers down for the nice family of locals. 

Since starting her job at the diner about a month back, Felicity had already learned just who the frequents were, what they ordered, and what sounds they dug. It was fun for Felicity, an emotional way for her to feel that she  _ belonged _ somewhere, unlike school. 

The end of her shift came quickly, as it always seemed to. The final locals drifted out of the diner, only half sober. One of the other waitresses a few years Felicity’s elder flipped the open sign to closed, and Felicity got right to sweeping, getting done fast. 

She didn’t find it weird that she enjoyed the job. Her mom did, as well as Sara. They felt that it was ridiculous how much Felicity looked forward to her shift, but Felicity couldn’t help it. At work, she was this whole different woman, with a little more freedom than at school. Not much, since she still wasn’t allowed to work in the kitchen, but it was still a sense of freedom. 

After 15 minutes of sweeping and mopping, Felicity exited the diner, waving bye to her few associates who stayed and took the till or cleaned the kitchen. 

Swinging her bag over her shoulder, Felicity pulled her hair out of her tight ponytail, about to make her way down the staircase when a throat cleared behind her. Felicity turned, surprised when she saw Tommy, not Oliver. She ignored the fact that her stomach sank just a bit. “Felicity, you got a minute?” 

“Can do. My ride’s not here anyways,” Lie. Felicity had planned on walking back to her building tonight, since her mom was catering, Sara had a match, and there was no way she would call Oliver. She was still mad. Obviously. 

“Boppin’. I just wanted to ask you a question about the diner,” Tommy said, motioning Felicity to come lean against the wall of the diner with him. Felicity did so, shoving her suspicions down.  _ Not everyone is Ray Palmer. _

“Shoot,” Felicity replied, after realising Tommy was waiting for permission.  _ Who taught this boy his manners?  _ Felicity’s heart throbbed. Was Tommy extra polite, or was she just used to being treated like trash? 

“Have you gotten any weird assignments lately? Or just felt anything, I dunno, out of the ordinary?” Tommy inquired, and Felicity raised a brow.  _ Why would Tommy be asking about this? _ She raised her hand up to her head, running her fingers through her hair, the bump from the tight ponytail soft against her fingers. 

“I haven’t gotten many days off, now that you mention it,” Felicity offered, and Tommy nodded. Felicity was about to say that was it when she remembered something from a shift a day or two ago that she’d ruled off as a coincidence. “Actually, since Isabel was promoted, she’s hired lots of sketchy people. They all seem to be close to her, and they all seem to know your father, as well. Not like, I’ve been listening on conversations or anything, I’m just observant,” Tommy raised both his brows, and Felicity shrugged. “I have a lot of freetime when I’m not working.” 

“Well, glossing over the how, this has actually been pretty helpful. Thanks Felicity!” Tommy exclaimed, before bolting off behind the building, not even giving Felicity time to say ‘you’re welcome’ or ‘goodbye’. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glossary:  
> -catch my drift: Understand  
> -hipster: someone hip, with the times  
> -boppin': cool  
> -shoot: go for it   
> -Dunno: don't know


	8. Day-O

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A friend picks Felicity up from work, but happens to notice something she was trying to hide. Oliver talks to Tommy about his conversation with Felicity and Felicity spends after hours at the school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Perfectly on time this update, that's new. This chapter is packed full of Olicity, I really couldn't help myself. Hope everyone enjoys. The story is cruising it's way along!   
> Chat with me @ AKBruce on tumblr!

**8:Day-O**

_ Daylight come and me wanna go home _

_ Work all night on a drink a rum _

_ Stack banana till the morning come _

_ Come mister tally man tally me bananas _

_ Lift six foot seven foot eight foot bunch! _

_ Day me say day o _

_ Day me say day me say day me say day  _

_ A beautiful bunch of ripe banana! _

_ daylight come and me wanna go home _

Felicity sighed, turning her head away from where Tommy disaperated, planting her eyes and brain ahead of her. Tommy was naturally odd, if someone so smart could be called odd. Nonetheless, Felicity felt as if the two were similar. Or, maybe it was just because they both liked Oliver. In different ways, of course. 

Felicity raised her hand to her forehead, lightly slapping her palm against the wrinkles of her forehead.  _ How did she always manage to bring up Oliver? _

Of course, Felicity knew that in the back of her large mind, where her darkest secrets were kept, swam the exact answer to that question. 

She was down the front steps by now, turning right and heading down the dark streets. The air was thin, like dusk had decided to make a premature appearance, and the only light source Felicity had was the flickering of streetlamps here and there, and the moon herself. 

A car whizzed passed as Felicity made her next turn, safely crossing the street behind the whizzing car. People in the Glades had no respect for any lives, even if the diner was in the  _ nicer _ part of the disgusting slums. 

Another car slowly approached, and Felicity didn’t look up, though this one was going slower. She wasn’t planning on paying it any attention until it pulled over and came to a stop right next to where she was in mid stride, about to turn another corner. 

She lifted her head warily, subtly placing her hand against the side of her left breast, feeling the cold metal of the pocket knife she kept in the pocket of her uniform. Her mom had added it, for situations just like this one. 

She was just about to pull the knife out and start swinging when the door opened, and Felicity’s eyes adjusted to the bright shine of the headlights. Her hand flew from her knife, replicating her other hand, both in fists, rested on her hips. “Oliver Queen, you nearly scared the bloody shit out of me!”

Oliver’s sharp face cringed, and neither one moved, Felicity’s adrenaline rushing back from where it came, disappointed Felicity didn’t run into something that called for more of it. 

“You were ready to pound me,” Oliver noted, looking up to where Felicity had slightly adjusted the pocket so the knife was in easy grasping. Felicity shrugged, moving her arms from her hips to crossed over her chest, meeting him in the eyes. “Alright, time to roll out.”

Oliver turned to his open door, squatting down and sitting himself in the driver seat. Felicity frowned, not having it. “I’m just supposed to get in the car with you? I was taught to never let strange men pick me up off the street. Not like you’re strange, or a  _ man _ , persay, but-” Felicity cut herself off, giving up and finding her body making its way to the passenger side of his car. 

She opened the door and plopped down, slamming it behind her. She laid back, closing her eyes, waiting for Oliver to pull off before coming to the conclusion that, after a few silent seconds, he wasn’t going anywhere. 

She opened her eyes in irritation, raising her head up, about to scold him, when she beheld just why Oliver wasn’t poppin’ the clutch. 

His eyes were dark, his face drawn in a way she felt threatened by being on the other end of. She tracked his glare to where he was looking, realising with a tang that, under the car lights, he had spotted the disgusting bruise along her cheek from where Ray had hit her. 

She breathed in deeply, Oliver’s eyes not letting up, his face livid. She went to hid her cheek with her hair, but Oliver stopped her, his quick reflexes softly grabbing her chin, giving her no choice but to tilt her head, his face drawing closer to inspect. 

“It was just an accident at work, Oliver, calm down,” Felicity made up quickly, attempting to pull her head away from his grip, his fingers tightening instead. He inched his body closer, and moved Felicity’s face so she was looking at him. 

“That kind of bruise? That has the shape of a fist,” Oliver said, his voice scratchier than Felicity had ever heard it. A shutter went through her, and she was pretty sure it wasn’t because of the drafting through the open windows. “What kind of accident at work could cause a fist to the face?” Oliver asked, and Felicity took a silent breathe, a plea for this conversation to end. 

“It’s a long story,” Felicity offered, finally ripping her face out of Oliver’s grip. She raised her hand, softly running her fingertips over the bruise. She hadn’t realised how prominent it must’ve looked.

“Felicity, please tell me this didn’t come from where I think it did,” Oliver half-begged, and Felicity swallowed, turning her head to look out the window so Oliver couldn’t read her lying eyes. 

“Whatever your suspicions may be, they’re wrong. It was an accident at work, nothing more,” Felicity pushed, and Oliver either believed her, which felt very unlikely, or just didn’t want to argue anymore, because his furious eyes turned away from her. Felicity looked forward, and Oliver started the car. She wasn’t sure if she should say something, or just leave it be. 

\-->\--><\--<\-- 

Oliver was more than furious. He was livid, and full of wrath, unlike he’d felt in a while, towards Ray Palmer. 

Because, of course, though Felicity would probably go to the grave denying it, there was no way that she could have gotten a bruise like that from an accident. No, something that nasty had intentions. 

Now, Oliver just needed to figure out  _ why. _ Why was she denying it? Why would he do something like that? Why had she been with him the whole day, even after what he’d done? 

Oliver turned the last corner towards her building, driving, as he usually did when she was in the car, under the speed limit, with hopes he might come up with something to say before she got up and bolted out of the car. 

“Oh, I never asked,” Felicity randomly piped up, and Oliver’s ears perked, excited that she had initiated. “Were you passing, or did you come by just to pick me up?” She questioned, and Oliver hauled the car over to the curb, parking in front of her building. He turned and take a good look at her face, noticing she had pulled her hair over her cheek, covering half the bruise. 

“I just-” Oliver breathed out, his eyes narrowing on her lips before raising them up to her bright blue eyes. He couldn’t say that, couldn’t do it to her. “...figured you’d need a ride,” Oliver said instead, and Felicity nodded, cracking open the door. 

“Well, no matter what the reasons, thank you for saving me from a walk in the deeps of the night,” Felicity said, a soft smile appearing on her lips. Oliver swallowed, the odd happiness Felicity made him feel swelling in his chest. 

She paused, and for a millisecond, Oliver felt a hope swell, that’d maybe she’d stay in the car, maybe she’d let him touch that soft, white, skin. 

The moment passed, and she was swinging out of the car, offering him a quiet goodbye and soft smile before she was closing the door behind her and rushing up to the front door of her building. Oliver sighed, waiting for her to go in. She turned back towards him, Oliver’s heart seizing. The moonlight hit and reflected against her eyes, causing Oliver to see a glint of unshed tears across them. His heart shattered for what he could not do for her. 

It shattered, because he could not save her. 

The door shut behind her, the wind howling, giving Oliver the message he needed to head home. The Glades weren’t the place to be at this time of night. 

Oliver pulled his car out, speeding his way home, his mind racing, his thoughts on overdrive. 

He hadn’t been good to Laurel lately. He knew it, too. She deserved someone fully committed to her. Exactly what Oliver knew he wasn’t. But she would never break it off with him, Oliver still not quite understanding why. He wished she’d be the one to break it off. She could go find someone who was fully devoted to her, and then Oliver would stop treating her poorly. 

But, he knew, amiss all the noise in his skull, Laurel wouldn’t let him go. She had no reason to. She didn’t live in his head, so she had no clue how attached to Felicity he’d become. 

Problem, right there.  _ Felicity. _ She probably didn’t even want him. Zorros, it was being pulled in fifty directions by a machine with strong hot rodders, and it was Hell. Abandon all hope, those who enter here, specifically one Oliver Queen. 

He sighed, pulling into his prestigious neighborhood and passing through the useless gate that was never closed. 

Heaven's, girls were making him think more than the norm for a high school male in his day and age. He laughed at himself. Now he was starting to sound like Felicity when she got awkward or excited.  _ Girls, damnit. _

\-->\--><\--<\--

“Dude, I can’t believe you got the car taken away,” Oliver commented, just as he was pulling out of the school parking lot a few days later, Tommy pouting in the adjacent seat. 

“I didn’t get it taken away, really, Mr. Merlyn just,” Tommy coughed, his voice becoming scratchy and lower in an impression of his father, “felt that I was overusing the freedom he had ever graciously granted me.” 

Oliver laughed, and Tommy joined in, Oliver heading towards his house, his mind feeling freer than it had in a while, do to his more frequent interactions with his best friend and Laurel being very occupied by the planning of the annual shin-dig the girls in their grade planned every year. 

“If your weird old man takes your car away, thats when you know you’re really abusing your privileges, man,” Oliver retorted, and Tommy just chuckled, letting Oliver win the argument. “How is he, by the way? Any more creepy old man shit?” Oliver asked, and Tommy’s face lit up, to Oliver’s surprise. He didn’t know Tommy was actually interested in his creepy old father. 

“I almost forgot! I spoke to your lil’ hippie ‘bout that,” Tommy announced, just as Oliver swung his car into the driveway of the Queen property. He parked and then turned to look at Tommy, raising his brows. 

“My ‘hippie’. You mean Felicity?” Oliver guessed, and Tommy nodded his head vehemently.  _ Why was he so excited about this? And why hadn’t Felicity told him this? _ “When’d you get the chance?” Oliver asked randomly. He hadn’t noticed Tommy talking to his blonde infatuation at school anytime lately. 

“I went to the diner and waited for her shift to end,” Tommy said, and Oliver almost scoffed at how creepy that sounded before realising that he’d done almost the same thing when he’d drove to the diner just so he could take her home. 

“And, what was buzzin’?” Oliver questioned, genuinely intrigued by Tommy’s little investigation on his father. It was certainly more interesting family issues than the Queen family’s daily arguments at the dinner table. Those just ended in someone storming off, and the other chasing after them. Which, for the record, was Thea or his mom. 

“Not too much, except for the fact that my dad hired a bunch of old friend’s of his, from his old company days, with mom,” Tommy stated, spelling out the people on his fingers, Oliver only remembering a few of them. “Felicity researched them, apparently, in a eavesdrop type of way. She does background checks on  _ everyone _ . She’s uber observant.” 

Oliver’s stomach swept in pride.  _ That’s the Felicity he adores. _ Besides the fact that Felicity was a badass, Malcolm’s patterns of hire did seem odd. “Why would your dad hire people to a diner who were in medical and had never done any food service?” Oliver asked aloud, and Tommy nodded. 

“Beats me,” Tommy commented, his eyes widening in the way he did when he got excited. He sat up quickly, jumping out of the car, shoving the door closed behind him. 

“Woah, what just sphered through your mind?” Oliver asked, and Tommy, always being the slightly off Merlyn, just grinned and then ran up to Oliver’s front door, disappearing through it, Oliver charging in after him. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

“Felicity. Felicity. Fe-li-ci-ty!” Felicity’s eyes snapped open, the brightness of the sun blinding her for half a second before she found herself face-to-face with a sweaty Oliver Queen forehead, followed by a whole face view. 

“What do you need?” Felicity asked groggily, ringing her fingers through her messy, uncombed hair and shaking her locks out violently. Oliver’s face retreated, and Felicity realised how rude she probably had sounded. “Sorry, its just, you woke me from a very pleasant, much needed nap, with a very nice dream, so, you practically deserved that.”

Oliver’s frown faded, and he smiled, sitting next to her, leaning his back against the big oak trunk. Felicity pretended to notice how his side was pressed against hers, how warm his body was. “It’s an hour later than you normally leave, the school’s practically deserted. Why are you still here?” 

Felicity sighed, involuntarily leaning her side closer to him. She cursed her cold body. “Sara couldn’t come ‘till 7:30, so I decided it was better than walking to the diner,” She explained, lulling her head against the tree, taking in the long branches and cloudy sky. “Not all of us have resources around every corner,” she teased, and Oliver nudged her, pulling a small smile onto her face. 

“Well, you have me,”Oliver said, and Felicity’s head shot back down, her eyes meeting his. “As a resource, Felicity,” He added, and she nodded, her cheeks reddening. Great, now he definitely knew she wanted something.  _ Smart move, Smoak. _

“I know that, Oliver,” She said, giving him a thankful look. The clouds above shifted, turning a darker, greyer tone from the white it had been. “Rain’s coming. You should split before you get drenched.” 

Oliver nodded, but he didn’t move at all, and Felicity found her heart beating at a pace it hadn’t since the doo-wop, the stars returning to pulse in her chest. Dumb nerves. 

“Do you have work?” He eventually asked, though it was quiet and soft. She just bobbed her head yes, afraid that her babble would lead her into saying something she would regret for the rest of her days. “Alright, I’ll take you.”

Felicity exhaled, an objection already on the tip of her tongue, when the clouds decided to become pissed, and rain began pouring down on them, the tree offering barely any protection. 

“Well, now there isn’t even a choice,” He pointed out, and Felicity didn’t bother to object this time, just let him take her hand and pull her towards his car. She put her hands over her head in hopes of shielding her makeup from the rain, not wanting to redo it before work. 

They made it to the car, and Felicity leaped in, closing the door harshly behind her, letting out a ‘whew’, just before a shiver overtook her body. Oliver looked at her from the driver’s seat, his hair plastered to his face, the grin spread across his face absolutely adorable. 

Felicity couldn’t help it, she burst out laughing. Oliver returned the laughter with the deep rumble of his own, and Felicity flipped her wet hair back against her head. 

“I guess I’m just bad luck,” She said, cackling her way through the sentence. He stopped, looking her right in the eye, and Felicity’s grin shuddered, fear of having said the wrong thing. 

He reached out, placing his hand on her cheek, his palm warm, his fingers scratchy, rubbing her practically not visible anymore bruise. He smiled softly, and Felicity’s chest seized, her face leaning into his relaxing touch. “No, Miss Felicity Smoak, you are the best of luck.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glossary:  
> -pound: fight  
> -Zorros: Heavens  
> -What's buzzin': What's going on  
> -split: leave


	9. Rock 'n' Roll Music

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray confronts Tommy and Oliver about their current plans with sharing the diner between their groups, but Oliver isn't the type to back down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conflict, ooh. Confrontation, ah. I hope everyone enjoys this, I was struggling to write one of these scenes for some reason. (Hopefully it's not obvious). Enjoy!

**9: Rock 'n' Roll Music**

_ That's why I go for that rock 'n' roll music _

_ Any old way you choose it _

_ It's got a back beat, you can't lose it _

_ Any old time you use it _

_ It's gotta be rock 'n' roll music _

_ If you wanna dance with me _

“Oh, it’s fucking on!” Oliver growled, and Tommy grabbed his arm, holding him back from doing anything stupid. And, considering just how riled up Oliver was, something stupid was in his close future, if Palmer didn’t back down. 

“Really, Ray, we have a set schedule,” Tommy said, and Ray flashed his teeth, but Tommy didn’t back down, his face mischievous, contrasting his kind, logical words. Oliver loosened his muscle, exhaling deeply, and Tommy released his arm, Oliver regaining a neutral posture. He was taller than Palmer, he would use it. 

Oliver assessed the situation once more while they waited for Palmer’s idiotic reply. It had been a fair deal that the greases had made with the high class. Oliver’s group got the diner on Fridays and Tuesdays, while Palmer’s got it on Wednesdays and Mondays, the other days being neutral days. That pact had been made almost a whole year prior. 

“That schedule has expired,” Ray spat out, and his dumb friends snickered, though his comment sounded just as uneducated as he was, the dumb nosebleed. 

“Alright, we can re-evaluate. But you can’t just charge at us after school on a friday and expect us to give up the plans we had made,” Tommy debated, and the boy on Palmer’s left, the smartest one out of all of his gang, and the one Thea was into, Roy, turned to Palmer, whispering something in his ear. 

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to see you there, then,” Palmer finished forcefully, sauntering over, and before Oliver saw it coming, Palmer was shoving into Tommy, knocking him over. Tommy let out a growl and swung, knicking Palmer’s knee, the rat and his gang scattering off at Oliver’s loud snarl. 

He grasped Tommy’s hand, pulling his friend up, Tommy dusting himself off, a look of death on his face. “If I could just say fuck to the rules....” Tommy drifted off, his teeth gritted. Oliver patted Tommy’s back in agreement. “We’ll show tonight, right?” Tommy asked, and Oliver faced his friend fully, the clouds covering the sun at the same moment. 

“Hell we will. It’s our rightful way. We’ll give him something to fight over,” Oliver promised, and Tommy nodded in agreement, the two walking side by side towards the parking lot, Oliver already letting thoughts of how he would hurt Palmer the hardest bounce around in his head.

\-->\--><\--<\--

“Honestly, how idiotic can you boys be?!” Sara accused, glaring at all four of their friends, all of their heads hung in shame except for Ray. Felicity stayed quiet, letting Sara partake in the motherly scolding. Scolding Ray would do her no good in current circumstances, and she was still giving him silent treatment.

“Like you know anything about a gang brawl. When was the last time you were included in one?” Ray shot back, and Felicity held in her gasp, watching in almost pity for Ray as Sara’s lips drew back to reveal her grit teeth. Felicity knew for a fact just how short Sara’s fuse was. 

“Sara’s just saying that because we care!” Felicity split in quickly, and the two blinked in unison, turning their heads to look at Felicity. She shrunk into her seat. “I’m just sayin’! Why would we be scoldin’ you if we didn’t care?” Felicity pointed out, and Roy eyed her, something like pride brimming in his eyes. He had always been supportive of her speaking out when she was most fearful to. 

“Felicity’s right, Ray,” Leonard said from Sara’s side, and Ray’s face softened slightly. Sara gave Felicity a look of thanks and she nodded, winking it her best friend. They had to have each other’s backs in this chickenshit of a man’s world. 

“Wow, alright, I guess we’ll just forget where women belong on the social scale,” Ray said, and Felicity looked down. She needed the courage. The courage to say no, to get out of the relationship. 

“We can be resourceful, though,” Felicity spoke up, looking right at Ray. “I have a shift tonight, you know. We can use that to our advantage,” She explained, and Sara grinned, Felicity feeling proud of how she passively knocked Ray on his ass. 

“That’s my girl,” Ray said, and Felicity gave him a warning smile, not feeling it at all. Roy winked, and Felicity looked down at her hands once more. Taking the time into consideration, she’d probably have to leave for her shift sometime soon, actually. 

“Sara, I need to get in uniform, come with me?” She asked, and Sara caught the message, nodding as Felicity stood, following Felicity back to her own room and closing the door behind the two of them. Immediately Felicity slid down the wall, putting her head in her hands and groaning. Sara sat down next to her, giving her silent comfort.

A minute or so passed, and Felicity finally raised her head, lulling it against the wall. “They’re dumb shits,” She muttered, and Felicity saw Sara nod out the corner of her watery eyes. “Should I try to talk to Oliver?” Felicity asked, turning her head but keeping it resting on the wall, her ear squished. Sara sighed. 

“Would it help?” Sara pointed out, and Felicity scrunched her eyes closed, taking a long and deep breath, blocking out the white useless noise that was filling her head. “Look, as much as I’d love for you to storm up to Oliver and warn him he should just not go tonight,” Sara said, and Felicity opened her eyes at the rush of air that came from Sara standing up. “He probably wouldn’t listen, anyways.” 

Sara made her way to the bed, picking up Felicity’s neatly folded waitress uniform, beckoning Felicity to come over, already unzipping the back to the dress. Felicity groaned, but still stood, her back muscles tight with stress and sore with strain. “This may just be the worst shift I’ve had so far.”

Sara chuckled at that comment, Felicity stepping out of her skirt and pulling off her top, throwing them on the floor of Sara’s room. Sara handed Felicity the uniform and Felicity grudgingly put it on, letting Sara zip it and then tie the apron on around the back. 

Felicity sat on the bed, Sara quickly twisting and tying her hair into a knot,Sara’s fingers working through her hair. Felicity let Sara, not having the social energy to demand Sara stop fussing over her. Besides, Felicity liked the way Sara did her hair better, anyways. 

After the final tug was over and the knot was all twisted into place, Sara slumped next to Felicity on the bed, Felicity not hesitating to lean her head against Sara’s shoulder. 

“Oh, cheer up, champ,” Sara said, and Felicity raised her head only to look at Sara, whose eyes were gleaming with humour. “There’ll be plenty of worst shifts to come.” 

\-->\--><\--<\--

Laurel twisted her hands around each other once more, her eyes darting from side to side before turning to look at Oliver once more. Oliver inwardly sighed. Maybe he shouldn’t of told Laurel about the fight him and Tommy had partook in with Palmer earlier that day. At least then he wouldn’t have to deal with freaked Laurel. 

That was her thing. She had always  _ hated  _ absolutely any fights that occurred between any of the main cliques in the school. Maybe it was because she felt above all of them, but Oliver doubted that. Laurel wasn’t the face she always put on. Oliver had always suspected that the reason Laurel hated showdowns was because she worried that something could and most likely would get out of hand. Especially with Palmer. Hell, she had the total right to be worried. 

Oliver lifted his gaze from her tanned twiddling hands to look at her face, her soft features staring into the table, unfocused. Oliver looked to Nyssa, who was on Laurel’s right, and Nyssa just shrugged both her shoulders. Tommy offered a similar motion and Oliver caught the groan that almost escaped his lips.  _ Why did he always have to be the comforter? _

“Hey,” He finally said, picking up his heavy hands and wrapping both around Laurel’s small one’s, stopping her twitching. She blinked, and her eyes came to focus, her gaze lifting to meet Oliver’s. “This won’t turn into a fight, promise.”

“O’s right, Laurel,” Tommy piped up, and Laurel turned her head to look at Tommy. “Palmer’s an actor, I’ll give him that, but he ain’t no action,” Nyssa nodded in agreement, and Oliver let go of Laurel’s hands, placing his own resting on the table. 

“Did you bring the backup?” Laurel said to Tommy. Oliver looked at the booth next to them. There sat two of Laurel’s closest female friends, and the three other guys that Oliver would consider his ‘baseball friends’. The girl closest to them, Helena, turned her head and winked at Laurel, having heard her question. Tommy nodded at Helenda, and Laurel’s shoulders loosened a bit. 

Just as Oliver was about to make a comment, Isabel strutted over with the shakes that the four had ordered, her eyes on Oliver, as always. God, she pissed him off so much. There was only one waitress that could do what she was intending to his insides, and it sure as hell wasn’t her.

When she walked off with the promise of their food and, Tommy turned his head to Oliver, his eyes livid. Nyssa made an observation about something someone was wearing across the diner, and the two began to get into their regular judgemental talk. “Dude, she helped my dad pick the new hires. The ones Felicity mentioned.”

Oliver’s eyes widened. He hadn’t known that Isabel knew Merlyn on a personal level. This was news. He was about to retort, but, as if being beckoned by the mention of her name, Felicity came swinging out of the kitchen with a tray of fries balanced on her right palm, a shake in the other. Oliver watched her as she made her way over to the booth next to theirs, containing their ‘backup’ as Laurel referred to them, setting the fries and shake down. 

Her hair was tighter and more intricate today. But, besides the fact that she looked as bouncy and cute as ever, her muscles seemed more tense as she made her way back into the kitchen, her face looking weary. Oliver blew out a breath, and Laurel glanced their way, gave Oliver a once over, and then continued to chat quietly with Nyssa. 

“She knows,” Tommy observed, and Oliver nodded. Their friends made a loud joke, and Oliver looked at them, watching one of his baseball friends, Wilson, eat a fry and then proceed to feed his girlfriend, who insisted upon being called ‘Shado’, a fry as well, the both smiling, while the other kids at the booth laughed. 

Oliver turned his head to the window then, not wanting to make it look like he was watching his kingdom too intently. The sky was a mix between grey and blue, two blobs of paint not fully mixed. His eyes fell on the old sign, that half lit up to illuminate ‘Verdant’, in big fancy letters. 

“How long you think they’ll be?” Came from the other table, and Oliver turned to see one of his other baseball friends, Sebastian, looking at Oliver with a raised eyebrow. Next to him, Floyd, the final and toughest of Oliver’s baseball friends, bobbed his head in agreement. Oliver shrugged and motioned for them to go back into conversation. 

Abruptly, the door from the kitchen slammed open, the noise causing Oliver to whip his head and look at what had caused the slam. Felicity, her eyes bright, her shoulders heaved, charged her way over to Oliver’s table, Oliver unsure of how to react. 

Laurel and Nyssa ended their conversation, both of their eyes trained on Felicity as if they were hawks and she was their prey. Tommy was the first to speak up, bless him. “What is it, hip?” Tommy asked, a relaxed grin on his face. Oliver knit his brows.  _ Just how much had Felicity and Tommy been talking lately? _

“Your whole group should leave. Like, now,” Felicity said, her words sounding harsh, as if she was breathing slightly deeper than usual. Laurel’s stare turned into a questioning look, and Oliver cringed inwardly. She was trying to save them from a fight. Honestly, it was sweet of her to consider even warning them. 

“So, they’ll be here soon then?” Oliver asked, and disbelief crawled it’s way onto Felicity’s face. Tommy snorted.  _ Whoops. _

“You’re just gonna take them on? Ray’s bringing the whole fracking cavalry!” Felicity exclaimed, and Oliver nodded thoughtfully.  _ Just how many was the full cavalry? _ “Are you  _ all _ looking for a fight? ‘Cuz I have a feeling that you all may not be on the same page,” Laurel raised her brows and Nyssa smiled. Felicity realised what she said a second too late. “Not like girls can’t fight, because trust me, I’m all for girl power and yay but I didn’t think you guys were itching for a fight or anything…” 

“Thank you for the warning, Felicity,” Oliver said, saving her from sending herself straight into the ground with just her words. He thought that it sounded like a good way to state that they weren’t backing down, but Felicity didn’t move. 

“I won’t be able to help. You’ll be on your own. The most I could do was convince Ray to leave the girls out of it,” Felicity supplied, and Oliver raised a hand, cutting her off. She met his eyes, and Oliver gave her a look of ‘I got this.’ He watched her swallow, and then pivot on her heel, slowly making her way back into the kitchen, muttering something to herself. 

10 minutes or so of normal passed, with no problems at all. Oliver was starting to think that Felicity had actually convinced Palmer to back off. He was about to call it a night when the front door of the diner swung open, and Laurel gasped, Oliver not needing to look to know just who was present. 

Tommy stood, Oliver and the three other boys following the matter, holding their ground in front of the booths. Oliver’s eyes landed on the doorway, and there the disgusting group of greasers stood, 8 in total, counting 7 guys and 1 girl, who Oliver immediately recognized as Sara, Felicity’s best friend. 

Palmer was in the front, and he stomped his way through the diner, all of the waitresses frozen in their spots, Felicity’s mom’s hands in the air, as if she was holding the waitresses back from getting themselves in over their head. 

Felicity, unfortunately, was right next to her mom, and Palmer spotted her, beckoning her over and grabbing her body, pulling her into his side. Felicity put a look of peace on her face, and Palmer loosened his hold a bit. Oliver’s flint sparked. 

“Well, well,” Palmer said, taking a few steps closer until he was a foot or so away from Oliver, the two almost perfectly squared up. “Looks like you richies just don’t know when to back down.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glossary:  
> -gang brawl: two rival groups fist fighting  
> -actor: show-off   
> -itching: looking, in the mood for  
> -richies: name meant to be offensive given to higher classes by lower classes


	10. Rock Around the Clock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fists do all the talking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halo! Here's an on time chapter, yay! Hope this saves us all from the misery of the season 6 finale. Who else was ripped to shreds? Anyways, enjoy this pretty action packed chapter.

**10: Rock Around the Clock**

_ Put your glad rags on and join me hon' _

_ We'll have some fun when the clock strikes one _

_ We're gonna rock around the clock tonight _

_ We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'till broad daylight _

_ We're gonna rock around the clock tonight _

Felicity was frozen. She couldn’t move a single muscle, couldn’t twitch. Her body just wasn’t complying with the directions her brain was practically smacking it with. If this had been a life or death situation, her fight or flight instinct would’ve failed her. Can’t fly if your feet aren’t willing to take the first jump. 

Her eyes were glued on Oliver. He wasn’t looking at her though, he was looking directly at Ray. She assumed they were probably having one of those male dominance show-downs. Who could break eye-contact last, who was the manliest, like they were in the middle of some big show-down bit. 

The diner was dead silent, save for the noises that could be distantly heard from the kitchen, the chefs unaware of what was coming their way. No one breathed, all tense, unaware on who would make the first move. Not like Felicity’s body would allow her to breathe anyway.

Ray’s arm around her waist tightened and she braced herself, knowing that meant he was about to take action, but Oliver finally spoke up, his voice sending a current of electricity down Felicity’s spine. Of course, that was when her body felt it was okay to move. “Go home Palmer. There’s nothing for you here.” 

Felicity sharply inhaled, holding in a snort at how absolutely  _ done _ Oliver sounded. Ray’s grip tightened, and Felicity watched as Oliver’s eyes flickered to her waist and then back up to Ray’s eyes, unnoticeable unless one was watching him as intently as Felicity was. She kept her features schooled, hoping that Ray didn’t reply with one of the dumb answers he constantly offered her. 

“Rather not,” Ray started, abruptly releasing Felicity and walking over to the table that Oliver’s other friend’s had been sitting at, picking up a fry and gobbling it down. “What you got against a guy coming to visit the doll he’s snowed for while she’s workin’?” Ray asked, Felicity schooling her features from laughing at the irony of how he used her as the reason for his childish standoff. 

“That’s what the schedule was for,” Oliver reminded Ray, sounding like a school teacher scolding a troubled student. Ray put down the fry basket and made his way back to the front of their group, settling slightly in front of Felicity this time, to her delight. 

“ _ Your  _ dumb plan was frail,” Ray stated, emphasising the ‘your’. Felicity lowered her eyes to the ground and closed them, allowing them to roll. What kind of person still insulted others with  _ dumb _ ? “And if you don’t allow free reign for us on all days in the diner, we’ll have to take it from you.”

Felicity opened her eyes to watch Ray take a single step forward, barely anything, his feet almost lined up in front of Oliver’s. She raised her head, watching as the realisation that Ray wasn’t going down without a literal fight cross onto Oliver’s face, his sharp blue eyes darkening. She drifted her gaze, spotting Laurel in the far back, barely visible, hidden behind one of the boys Felicity recognised from the countless baseball practices. 

Laurel met Felicity’s gaze, and Felicity flickered her eyes towards the door leading to the kitchen, and then to her mom, praying that Laurel had what it took to get herself and anyone else who wasn’t ready for a right to go into the kitchen and follow her mom. She had been planning on doing what she was motioning to Laurel as well, but she knew Sara wanted to throw down. Laurel gave a slight nod, and Felicity blew out a silent breath. 

Someone twiched in front of Laurel, drawing Felicity back to the square off occurring between the leaders. Oliver’s teeth were tightly grit, and he had strained his muscles. His lips downturned, and Felicity braced herself for all hell breaking loose. His mouth opened slightly, and he finally ground out, “Make me.”

In a blink, barely enough time for Felicity’s tired mind to register, Ray’s arm swung contacting with the side of Oliver’s face, almost identical to the hit he had placed on her after the doo-wop. Oliver must of thought so as well, since, as he righted himself, the side of his face red, his eyes met Felicity’s and they looked pleading. 

“Boys!” Ray hollered, and their group didn’t wait, hopping into action. Most of the guys ran around the diner, throwing stuff on the ground, dirtying everything that belonged to the richies. Sara grabbed Felicity’s arm, pulling her out of the unmoving daze she was in. 

“You need to get to the kitchen, now!” Sara said over the chaos, Oliver’s group seemingly retaliating, while Oliver avoided Ray’s continuous swings. Wasn’t very hard to decipher who was the better fighter between those two. 

“Yeah, right-o,” Felicity breathed, grabbing Isabel, who was begging Adrian to stop smashing records off the wall, to no success, since he was just ignoring her. “Isabel, you need to get all the workers out. The police will probably come shut this down soon enough,” Felicity said, whilst slamming open the door of the kitchen to spot her mom and the other waitresses all informing the cooks on what the hell was happening. 

“Don’t worry about the police,” Isabel snapped, pulling her arm out of Felicity’s grip, “Mr. Merlyn will hear of this, directly from me,” She stormed towards the door, and Felicity followed, about to argue, when Isabel whipped around one last time. “And he’ll hear it’s your boy who started the whole thing, don’t you worry.” 

Felicity watched in dismay, a protest at the tip of her tongue as Isabel stormed off into the night. Taking a deep breath, Felicity turned and spotted the phone on the wall, her mind made up about just who would make sure this all got shut down. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

All hell had broke loose. Oliver could barely process what was going on around him as Palmer repeatedly swung at him, not repenting at all. Oliver blocked, but didn’t swing back. The last thing he needed was Palmer telling the larger masses that Oliver Queen had hit him. 

So, that left Oliver with dodging Palmer’s pretty shit punches and making sure to avoid breaking anything. Palmer went for a low swing, and Oliver blocked his fist, twisting lightly and shoving, Palmer groaning a tad and taking a step back. 

Oliver took the moment, quickly scanning the diner. Laurel and Nyssa were nowhere in sight, to Oliver’s relief. But, the relief seemingly drifted away as he spotted a giant ball of blonde, running around the diner, ushering workers and other customers who weren’t involved in the fight out the back.  _ Why couldn’t Felicity have her mom do that for her? _

Palmer recovered, coming at Oliver right towards his own nose. Unable to just block, Oliver caught Palmer’s fist, his teeth grit, a deep growl coming from his throat. “That is  _ enough _ , Palmer. Call your goons off and  _ go home _ .” 

“You wouldn’t hit me, would you?” Palmer taunted, and Oliver’s jaw tightened, teeth still grit. Oliver looked to where he had Palmer’s hand grasped and twisted, Palmer pulling his arm back and yelping in pain. Oliver pushed past him, towards where another one of Palmer’s gang was giving Slade trouble. 

OLiver quickly hooked his leg into the man who had Slade pinned to the wall, knocking him over and quickly helping Slade up. “Shado?” Oliver asked, and Slade nodded towards the kitchen. Oliver looked at the door and then shoved Slade in that direction. “Go help.” 

Slade didn’t hesitate and pushed his way through the door, just as Oliver felt something smash against the back on his leg too late, his knees buckling, his side slamming into the wall. He whipped around, ignoring the pain in his side, to see Palmer holding the top of a chair, the bottom part in pieces on the ground. 

Palmer took another swing, Oliver ducking and twisted to the side, the chair meeting the wall, a few more pieces breaking off. Oliver stepped back as another one of Palmer’s men joined the idiot, feeling the back of his leg connect with a table. The table they always sat at, ironically. 

He then realised the Palmer had unintentionally cornered him. How he always got himself into these situations, he was yet to decipher. Luckily, most of the guys who had been pulling apart the diner and fighting froze as the sound of the Heat’s siren blared. Oliver watched as a mass exodus occurred, most of Palmer’s men and some of Oliver’s friend’s bolting out of the diner. 

Palmer looked at the door once and then back at Oliver, the broken up chair still in hand. Oliver waited, wondering how Palmer would act on this. 

“Ray!” Oliver’s body tensed, his eyes darting to Felicity, who was making her way towards them. “That is enough!” She yelled, grabbing the chair out of his hand and throwing it on the ground. Palmer’s face tightened in anger, but Felicity didn’t back down. “You’re gonna, if you haven’t already, get me fired!”

“Lay off, Felicity! This is between me and Queen!” Palmer growled, raising his hand. Oliver didn’t think but reacted out of reflexes, grabbing Palmer’s arm and stopping him, just as the Heat shoved the door of the diner down, guns raised. 

Oliver watched Felicity, her eyes closed tight, her body prepared as if this had happened multiple times before, as her eyes slowly opened and beheld the situation. 

“Hands up, the lot of you!” Laurel’s father, and the head of the police force, yelled, the remaining few students that were fighting slowly separating and putting their hands up tentatively. “Where’s Laurel?” Lance shot at Oliver, and Oliver released Palmer’s wrist, pointing to the kitchen door silently. Lance nodded, his face showing no expression of thanks or anger. “Now, where’s this Felicity Smoak that called?” 

Felicity looked up just as Palmer’s head whipped to look at her, his face furious. Oliver braced himself to stop Palmer once more. “That’s me,” Felicity said softly, raising her hand up. Lance nodded and walked towards them, just as Palmer lost it. 

“You bitch! You called the heat on your own boyfriend? I’m going to end you!” Palmer threatened, and Oliver grabbed Palmer as he just about launched himself at Felicity, the girl’s face looking pale as a ghost. Lance grabbed cuffs and took Palmer from Oliver, snapping them around Palmer’s wrists. 

“I take it this was initiated by you?” Lance said, walking around Palmer so he could look right into his eyes. Oliver watched as the idiot nodded, and Lance frowned, motioning for some other members to grab Palmer and take him to the cars, most likely. 

Palmer screamed, offering death threats up to both Felicity and Oliver. Oliver sighed, his adrenaline quickly emptying, the pain from being smashed into a wall by a chair suddenly apparent throughout his side. He cringed, and Lance turned to him, his face still full of caution. 

“I’ll talk to Merlyn about regulating this diner. I’ll be taking Laurel and the rest of her friend’s home as well. I thank you for getting them out of here safely,” Lance begun, and Oliver tasted the but coming, “but, Laurel wouldn’t have been in this mess if you hadn’t sorted yourself out. Watch yourself, Oliver, and be careful what you drag my daughter into.”

He then walked towards the kitchen, the other cops following, leaving Oliver, Felicity, and the few stragglers sitting ragged in the diner. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

Felicity had wanted to go home, but she sure as hell didn’t want to walk alone, and her mom was required to stay and sort out stuff with the policemen. 

So, Felicity had found herself seated around the back, the faint glow of the lights and distant sound of conversation bustling around her, but she didn’t sense any of it. All Felicity could think about was how she got herself into this situation in the first place. She hated it, and hated this new town, and hated how she didn’t belong. She was low, so low. She had never felt this depressed before. 

She dropped her head between her knees and pulled them closer to her chest, allowing a tear to shed, followed by another. If Sara hadn’t already gone home with Leonard, she would have held Felicity and then rocked her to sleep in her mother’s bed. 

But Sara wasn’t with her, and Felicity was alone, and feeling as broken as she ever had. Even though she had hated her life before she moved, at least everyone else had been like her. They’d all been poor and rejects. Now she had to deal with the entitled and her stupid, idiotic, abusive boyfriend. 

It hurt to admit that. Abusive. It sounded like a word that was only used in drastic situations, situations Felicity had never believed she’d get dragged into in her life, ever. What would they do with Ray anyways? Would he go to jail, or would he just be allowed back, hurting her just as he did before. 

It was unbearable. Not being allowed to say no to a man. What did society have to say about that? Were all relationships like that? Were there other girls like her out there who were constantly being shoved under the heel of a man’s boot, attempting to survive in a man’s world? 

She sighed, and more tears began to flow, becoming consistent. This wasn’t her. She didn’t cry her soul out. She was strong. Or was she? 

“Felicity?” Felicity lifted her head quickly, her eyes landing on none other than Tommy Merlyn himself. She wiped her eyes and then looked down at her hands, having no clue what to say. He inched closer, and then slid down next to her against the cement brick wall. “Want to talk about it?” He asked, and Felicity guffawed. Never a smart idea when one was crying, snot flying onto her knees. 

“I’m  _ broken, _ ” Felicity said suddenly, and Tommy offered her a knowing look. “I know you don’t know me, and you probably only think of me as the girl Oliver drives everywhere, but I can’t tell him I’m broken, or he’ll flip shit, and I don’t want to do that to him,” Felicity let out. “I don’t mean to burden you, but you did sit here, and-” She choked on a sob, and Tommy placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“Felicity,” Tommy repeated, a little less tentative this time, and Felicity met his eyes. “You can always talk to me. I remember when I lost my mom. I was broken. I refuse to sit and watch as someone else struggles.” 

Felicity nodded. “Thank you.” She meant it, too. 

“One problem, I’m stuck here till the end of the night. Can I send you home with Oliver? You don’t have to say anything to him, though. I’ll tell him to shut up if you’d like,” Tommy offered, and Felicity shook her head, wiping her eyes with her apron and standing, a little shaky on her feet. 

“I’ll be fine, thank you,” Felicity said once more, and Tommy offered her a tight smile, walking around her and making his way into the diner through the back door. Felicity took a deep breath and made her way to the front, where Oliver’s car was sitting there, waiting, as if he had purposely sent Tommy. 

She walked down the steps and opened the front door, Oliver not even flinching, just looking at her wet eyes with a soft look. There was only a second of hesitation, Felicity nervous about if he was angry with her, before she threw herself into his chest, her sobs coming more forcefully from relief when he instantly cradled her with his warm strong arms. 

He pulled her closer and held her tight to his chest, Felicity resting her head to the side right below his collarbone. No words felt needed. 

And suddenly, Felicity felt a bit more whole. 


	11. Do You Want to Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity gets recruited to a cause she didn't know existed, and is dragged to a dance by that same cause.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late late late ahh I apologize for the late update! Was finishing up classes, but now that I'm done I'll *hopefully* have more time to write. Nonetheless, here is a chapter, I'll share now, this isn't a huge Olicity action chapter, simply because the plot needed to be extended on. Now we're getting somewhere, though! Hope everyone enjoys!   
> Chat with me on tumblr @AKBruce   
> Kudos and comments fuel me!

**11: Do You Want to Dance**

_ Do you want to dance and hold my hand? _

_ Tell me baby I'm your lover man _

_ Oh baby, do you want to dance? _

_ Do you do you do you do you want to dance _

_ Well do you want to dance under the moonlight? _

_ Squeeze me baby all through the night _

_ Oh baby, do you want to dance? _

The next day was an utter mess for Felicity. The diner had been closed for the weekend, and through all the chaos of the night before, Felicity had completely and utterly forgotten about the shindig that was happening that next Saturday. So, since luck was a lady, she didn’t have a dress, her date had just been arrested, and the only person who might actually go with her was Sara. 

Felicity lifted her hand in the air, her body sprawled on her couch, still heavy from a much needed long night of sleep, and flexed her hand before reaching her other arm up as well and stretching her shoulders out, her muscles sore, her body unable to sit up. Her mom rushed past her couch suddenly, and Felicity grudgingly and extremely awkwardly half-pulled half-pushed herself up into a sitting position, rubbing her eyes. 

“Sorry to wake you sweetie, but I must head to the diner. After you left last night Mr. Merlyn went crazy and threatened to fire me, and I just couldn’t take that. There’s something in the fridge, hopefully,” Felicity blinked, her eyelids heavy and looked at her mom, who was shoving toast in her mouth and swinging her purse over her shoulder. “See you later honey.” 

Felicity watched as her mom flittered quickly through the door, leaving Felicity staring at a closed door with a breeze now drafting through thanks to the cooler morning air slithering it’s way into the room. She then promptly fell backwards and rested her head back on the armrest and her pillow, snuggling into her blankets tighter. 

Her mind subconsciously drifted to the drive home with Oliver and she felt the smile rise onto her face as she flipped onto her side. That was always the thing with Oliver. Amidst all the craziness and terrors he had faced throughout the night, he was still willing to comfort her and fluffily flirt with her, in the way he knew made her smile. 

Felicity’s grin grew and she let out a snort, curling her legs up to her chest. It was ironic almost. If Ray had waited a day, he could’ve still forced her to attend a dance she didn’t want to attend. It was as if Karma had decided it was going to bite back full force, and Felicity wasn’t gonna stop it. 

She drifted off once more, a soft happy feeling in her mind. 

She awoke with a start a few hours later, due to the door of her house being slammed opened. She bolted up, automatically throwing her arms around her, thinking it would be Ray, looking in surprise when her vision cleared and she spotted two figures. 

She rubbed her eyes and tilted her head in confusion at Tommy Merlyn and Sara Snart, who were both just standing in her doorway, looking at her like she was the biggest dope on the planet. “What in the hell do you want?” Felicity asked tiredly, pulling herself up into a sitting position and pressing her back into the couchback, Sara taking that as an invite to sit next to her on the couch, Tommy settling against the wall across from them. 

“How do you feel about being a spy?” Tommy asked, and Felicity guffawed at the randomness of the question. “I’m talkin’, real deal here,” He added, and Felicity lifted her legs out from under the blankets, stretching them straight. 

“Never put much thought into an idea that ridiculous considering I’m a broke female living in the Glades of Starling,” Felicity pointed out, pulling her legs beside her on the couch and resting her head on Sara’s shoulder, who was being kind enough to not explain to Felicity what Tommy was actually inquiring. 

“Well, we need a spy, and you’re our best option,” Tommy said promptly, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning his back against the wall, propping one leg up as well. “We’ve been snooping.” 

Felicity lifted her head and looked to Sara in confusion. Since when did high class Tommy Merlyn and badass ‘I-survive-off-instinct’ Sara Snart decide to talk to each other. And snoop? What would the two need to snoop over together?  _ Why was Felicity stuck being friends with people like this? _

“We’ve been investigating his dad,” Sara cleared up, and Felicity blinked, remembering when Tommy had asked her about odd things his dad was putting to work at the diner. Why would Sara be interested though? 

“I talked to Laurel, and after a lot of convincing, she snuck through her dad’s files, and turns out, there’s a  _ whole _ bunch of police work swimming around my dad. Plus, Lance had  _ just _ filed something about how my dad was involved with Palmer’s anger,” Tommy blurted, his excitement extremely obvious. Felicity turned her gaze from Sara to Tommy. Why would Ray talk to Merlyn? Hell, it was more of a how. 

“Ray? Attacking the diner because of your dad?” Felicity questioned, the disbelief shown through her words. She didn’t want to sound rude, but she didn’t believe it. “How could Ray Palmer find a way to contact your dad? Tommy, what could your dad possibly say that could’ve made Ray angry enough to attack Oliver? Plus, why would your dad want that?” Felicity continued, and Sara placed a hand on her leg to end the attack of questions, Felicity quickly turning her head to look at Sara, whose face was grim. 

“We don’t know, but we have an idea. Leonard and I are gonna go over to Tommy’s, and we’re gonna see if Merlyn says anything to us. We were planning on just going to his house and then going as a group to the shindig,” Sara said, and Felicity shrugged. 

“Sure, if that’s what you guys wanna do, go for it,” Felicity said, pretending she didn’t understand that they were trying to get her involved as well, knowing full well that’s why they were at her place. 

“Alright Tommy, I’ll drag this troublemaker to Laurel’s to get ready,” Sara said, stopping Felicity from a protest with a slap on the leg. “You grab Leonard and Oliver and we’ll meet at your house around three. Groovy?” Tommy nodded, saluted, and the practically sprinted out the door, leaving Felicity at the will of Sara. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

“This is still one of the most unsocietal things we’ve ever done,” Oliver said, fixing his tie and looking through the mirror to meet Tommy’s eyes, the boys smile crinkling his eyes. 

“Wait till Moira gets a load of this,” Tommy replied, and Oliver let out a laugh, just imagining his mom’s reaction after he told her that his group of friends was now intermixed between socs & greasers. Zorros, his dad would probably ship him off to the military. 

Tommy’s bedroom door squeaked open and Leonard’s face appeared. “The girls just made it. I suggest coming out soon if you want to stop your father from scaring Felicity anymore.”

Tommy sighed, and Oliver knew he was thinking about how his dad seemed to always live up to the creepy Merlyn name. Oliver slapped Tommy’s back and turned away from the mirror, pulling his best friend towards the bedroom door that Leonard pulled open fully. “How bad could it be, anyways?” 

Tommy shook his head in the way that told Oliver he was being  _ extremely _ unhelpful, so Oliver formed his lips into a tight line and followed Tommy down the stairs towards the familiar kitchen and tv room, brushing through the kitchen. Tommy stopped at the interconnecting doors and Oliver gave him a prompt shove, Tommy stumbling through the swinging door into the tv room. 

All eyes swept to the boys, all three girls eyes full of a subtle relief, except for Felicity, whose relief was evident. Merlyn looked up from his glass of wine he had been swirling and pulled himself out of Felicity’s space. Oliver met Felicity’s eyes, and she gave a shake of her head, so he stood down. 

“Welcome to the conversation, men. Come, have a seat,” Merlyn said in his detached way, and none of the boys moved, Tommy just pointing to the time on the wall, Merlyn looking to the clock and nodding. “Well then, I wish you a festive night.” 

“Thanks Dad,” Tommy replied, and Oliver approached the couch, helping Laurel up and going to help Felicity, stopping short when Tommy was already there. He inhaled and then turned back to Laurel, who looked dazzling. 

“You’re a stunner,” Oliver said, and Laurel smiled in a soft-manoured way. He wrapped her arm around his and pulled her through the kitchen and into the front door space, Laurel letting out a long breath. 

“Poor Felicity,” Laurel said, and Oliver didn’t say anything, raising his brows. Merlyn really knew how to scare people of all genders and ages. “I could never handle working for that creep. What a strong-will,” Laurel replied to his raised brows, and Oliver smiled softly. Laurel’s new and random admiration for Felicity wasn’t something he could easily get over, considering her opinions towards the new girl in the past. 

The other two couples appeared at the doorway a minute or so later, Tommy laughing under his breath about something with Felicity. Oliver was glad, at least someone was given the chance to cheer her up after how bad these last two days had been. 

“Let’s go fucking dance!” Sara exclaimed, and Laurel gave a cheer, Oliver pulling back in surprise, new parts of Laurel appearing out of nowhere in just a day. Tommy whooped, opening the front door and pulling a laughing Felicity towards his car. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

Tommy pulled up to the school first, which meant Felicity was going to have to enter with him instead of hiding behind Sara, since hiding behind Ray was out of the picture. 

When Felicity got out of the car, she hadn’t known what to expect. But, of course, even though only the upper classes had wallphones and such, words still spread quickly. Tommy politely held out his elbow and Felicity hooked her arm, whipping her head every direction as the two pushed their way towards the front doors of the school. 

People were watching and whispering; Felicity even spotted one pointing. It wasn’t like she hadn’t ever been gossiped about or pointed at before, but this time felt different. She knew it was different when laid back Tommy sped up the pace and shoved her through the front door, too. 

He proceeded to pay for the tickets and the two made their way into the dance, Tommy directing her to an empty corner and leaning her up against the wall. She let him pull her along and rested her head back against the wall when he finally settled on a spot. “Rumours spread fast here, you’ll find.” 

Felicity snorted. “Yeah Tommy, I can kind of tell,” She answered, and Tommy blinked before giving her a closed-lip smile. “Why are we in the corner of the dance when we could be out there throwing down?” She asked suddenly, the filter in her head turned off from her exhaustion. 

“Just planning to have a group meeting about the bullshit my father spat before we go ‘ _ throwing it down’ _ ,” Tommy said, imitating her at the end of his sentence. Felicity gave him a soft shove, just as Oliver and Laurel pushed their way into the dance, followed by Sara and Leonard. 

Oliver stopped next to Tommy and Felicity didn’t meet his eyes, looking to Laurel instead like the coward she was and exchanging a smile with the girl, who shoved herself between Oliver and Tommy. Sara came up next to Felicity, and Felicity immediately felt safer after Sara wrapped a single arm around small shoulders. 

“Alright, let’s bring this meeting to order,” Tommy said, and Laurel gave him a nudge, Sara snorting. “We’ll start off with any significant thing shared,” Tommy offered up, and Felicity thought back to the conversation, er, interrogation, that she had took a lead part in with Tommy’s father.

“He was more interested in what Ray did than what actually happened at the diner,” Laurel said, and Felicity blinked it surprised. She hadn’t even thought that Laurel was paying attention. That girl was more sly and observant than she let on. “Also, he was mainly targeting Felicity, even though he arrived just as Sara and I were leaving, so he had to have noticed we were there as well.”

Tommy nodded and Felicity could almost see him making the mental notes. She still couldn’t find the guts to look at Oliver, though.  _ Weak. Just because he held you all through last night doesn’t mean things have changed _ . 

“Laurel’s right,” Felicity finally spoke out, looking at the ground. “I was trying to be ignorant to the fact, but he did ask me about Ray a lot,” She admitted. “He was also asking if my mom or I wanted to resign, because he totally understood, and that he would like to have a conversation with my mom as well.” 

“Did you say you wanted to resign?” Oliver asked, and Felicity looked up at his chin, swallowed, and shook her head no. Oliver looked at Tommy. “So why would he ask if Felicity wanted to resign if she didn’t even mention it? Wouldn’t he be offering a pay raise or something to keep her?” 

“Oliver, let’s be realistic, no woman is ever getting offered a pay raise by some rich creepy old dude. Gosh, think like us,” Sara pushed in, and Oliver’s hung his head sheepishly. Laurel winked at Sara, and Felicity watched as Sara gave a semi-awkward grin back. 

“Is that all we gathered for now?” Leonard jumped in, probably the only one of them who could actually keep this group on track. Felicity looked at everyone, and no one else spoke up with other evidence, so that must have been that. 

“Alright bitches!” Sara exclaimed, and Laurel was already pushing Oliver and Tommy out of the way to join Sara, grabbing Felicity’s wrist as well, the two girls practically dragging Felicity across the floor towards where all the couples dancing were. 

  
  
  



	12. Why Do Fools Fall in Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One dances changes it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Such a late update, whoops. But you can't blame me, this chapter is packed full of fluff and holds a very big step in the fic. As always, comments and kudos are so appreciated. Enjoy, and don't be afraid to chat with me on tumblr @AKBruce!

**12: Why Do Fools Fall in Love**

_ Why do birds sing so gay _

_ And lovers await the break of day _

_ Why do they fall in love _

_ Why does the rain _

_ Fall from up above _

_ Why do fools fall in love _

_ Why do they fall in love _

Felicity was tired, and the dance was only a few songs in, which probably showed how unbelievably out of shape she was. Meanwhile, Sara and Laurel were having a good time, Laurel looking less tense than Felicity had ever seen her. Plus, Laurel seemed to be having loads of fun with Tommy, and that made Felicity happy considering how much Tommy like Laurel. It also made Felicity wonder where Laurel’s other friend, that Nyssa girl, could’ve went. Laurel didn’t seem to mind though, and, ever since the night before, Laurel had been fine around Sara. 

A song Felicity didn’t recognize began blasting, and Felicity sighed, glancing towards the corner that Oliver and Leonard were leaned against. Pivoting on her heel, she turned her back to the dance area and made her way over to the two boys, her high ponytail bouncing. 

She settled herself against the wall half a foot or so away from Oliver, not wanting to snuggle up against him due to the crowd. Not like she would snuggle against him anyways. Felicity cringed at herself and closed her eyes, lulling her head back against the wall, tuning out the dance music and tuning in Leonard and Oliver, who hadn’t said anything to her yet. 

“That’s an interesting idea, Oliver. I’ll look into it. Sara would probably be down to, as well,” Leonard was saying, and Felicity opened her eyes to look at him. His eyes slid her way and he gave her a grim smile. Felicity had always like Leonard. He had a cool and collected aura about him, and him and Sara worked together like a well oiled hot rodder. 

“Laurel and Sara tire you out?” Oliver said, turning his attention from Leonard to her. Felicity shrugged and offered a sheepish smile that proved what he had predicted was the exact answer. 

“Glad I got Tommy out there, at least now Laurel can tire him out,” Felicity said, and Oliver laughed lightly, Felicity watching his eyes slide past her face to behind her. Felicity turned her head and smiled when she spotted Laurel dragging Tommy through some crazy dance step. 

“Awh, I’m being summoned,” Leonard spoke up, nodding his head to Sara, who had her arm raised and a single finger pointed right at Leonard. “Talk later, Oliver.” 

Oliver nodded and Leonard made his way towards where Sara was beckoning him, leaving just Felicity and Oliver. Felicity wrapped her arms around her chest and gripped her shoulders, resting her head on the nook of her elbows. She wanted to say  _ something _ , but hells, what would she say?  _ Sorry I kept you up late last night after having an emotional breakdown and needing you to hold me for what must of been hours? _ That probably didn’t bode too well in her direction. 

“What is Felicity Smoak thinking?” Oliver asked, turning his head to look at her, Felicity hit with the panic of his full attention being on her. Had he gotten closer? Felicity’s mind raced for an answer that didn’t sound ridiculous. 

“I just- well I- you know, last night I… well… er… thank you,” Felicity spouted, exhaling and then proceeding to hide her face with her hands, her cheeks warm and probably a bright shade of crimson. She inhaled and peaked through her fingers to look at a smiling smug Oliver. 

“You’re welcome,” Oliver said, reaching his arms up and pulling Felicity’s hands off her face, holding them in front of her in his own. “I know what pain from someone close feels like, Felicity. I may never have been in your situation, but I can sort of relate.” 

Felicity sighed and met his eyes, blue on blue. It wasn’t even him, Felicity always struggled with intimate moments like these. When someone was cutting themselves open, letting out their deep parts, how could one fully live up to their exposure?

The song ended, and, save the voices of all the dancers screaming and laughing, Felicity felt she was in a silent bubble, just her and Oliver, one they would pop if either looked away. It was exhilarating. She hadn’t felt this with anyone but Oliver, and it drove her crazy. And, as many quoted, sometimes craziness could lead a person to make decisions without thought, without reason.

“Oliver…” Felicity drifted off, and he blinked, eyes still glued on hers. “I was wondering, if maybe…” She couldn’t do it, the craze couldn’t even pull her cowardice away. She stopped and snapped her mouth shut, Oliver’s eyes still full of anticipation. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

Oliver could tell she wanted to ask him something intimate. That was one of Felicity’s tells; she babbled save for moments when she was trying to do something that wasn’t in her comfort zone. That was when Felicity Smoak zipped her lips and lost her ability to compose a sentence. 

He raised a single brow, and she squeezed her lips closed, her tongue visibly running over her teeth through her cheek. “Felicity,” Oliver said, not wanting her to sit in angst any longer, “Would you like to dance?” 

Oliver watched as Felicity nodded, biting her lip in an attempt to hide her grin. So, he reached out his hand in offering, and Felicity took it, allowing him to walk her to the edge of the dance area as a slower song that Oliver recognised by Frankie Lymon rang out of the jukebox. It seemed as if even the jukebox wanted him to dance with Felicity. 

Oliver stopped just next to where a few of his baseball friends were dancing with their doll’s, and wrapped his arms around Felicity’s waist, pulling her closer. He tensed as her hands made their way up and around his body, wrapping around his neck. 

The two began to move to the rhythm of the song, and Oliver found himself getting caught in Felicity’s eyes immediately; as if he was seeing her heart through the penetrating blue. Her face was set in a seemingly calm expression, but her lips were tilted upwards, causing Oliver to closed-lip grin as well. 

She then laid her head against his chest, showing just how tired she was, and Oliver tensed even more, his heartbeat speeding up. This had been what he’d been craving since the girl showed up in school and  that first baseball practice. This closeness, proximity, that sent feelings down his spine that no one could make him feel, not even Laurel. 

_ Laurel. _

Through his infatuation, he’d completely forgotten about how Laurel had probably been looking for him to dance. She must be pissed. He tore his eyes from Felicity’s and scanned the crowd for that tight brown bun, being greeted with it towards the centre of the clump of couples. She was dancing with Tommy, the same way Oliver was with Felicity. 

She was smiling at something that Tommy had whispered to her, just as she lifted her face, probably having felt Oliver’s gaze on her. Their eyes met, and hers widened slightly when she saw Felicity’s head leaned up against his chest. He grimaced, and looked at her with apologetic eyes, but she didn’t look angry. There was a look on her face that Oliver hadn’t expected to see. 

Understanding. Acceptance. 

She smiled at Oliver one final time and then looked back to Tommy, offering him a toothy grin. Oliver sighed and looked down at Felicity, snuggled against his chest, the two still swaying. He lifted one hand from her waist and stroked her hair, running his fingers through the blonde locks. 

She stirred but didn’t lift her head, letting out a noise that Oliver could only identify as a purr. His heart squeezed at how much it meant to Felicity to be held, be loved on. She deserved the world, and here she was, content that he was just giving her attention.

The song ended, a more upbeat one starting, but neither he nor Felicity moved, neither one wanting to give up holding the other. So, Oliver help her, all through the rest of the dance, hoping to show her just how much he was willing to love on her. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

The next monday morning, when Oliver knocked on the Lance’s door to pick Sarah up, he was greeted by a grim Mr. Lance letting him know that Tommy had already picked Laurel up. Oliver had shaken it off and driven to school himself, not thinking much of it. Tommy was an extremely kind friend, and had always been so sweet to Laurel. 

Oliver sat through his first period with his head in the clouds. As much as he had enjoyed the dance, his favourite part had been after, when Laurel had gone with Sara and Tommy to some afterparty, leaving Oliver to drive Felicity home. She had insisted he didn’t have to, which Oliver felt was just silly, considering how she must have known by then how he would never make her walk home when he could drive her. 

The whole ride she had huddled in him still, their hands intertwined. When he had pulled up to her house, they had sat, silently, for a few minutes, holding each other, before Felicity finally shifted. She had placed a kiss on his cheek, which had set his skin ablaze and his heart on fire, before getting out of the car and dashing to her front door. Looking back just once to give him that signature Smoak grin. 

He had planned on telling Laurel when he picked her up this morning, but, obviously, those plans were washed away. So, instead, he made his way through the day, hour by hour, dreading the moment when he’d have to admit to Laurel that he wanted out of their relationship. 

Finally, lunch came, and Oliver grabbed his food as quick as possible, taking his seat in the usual spot and waiting for Laurel. Nyssa came first though, unfortunately, plopping down next to him and not saying a word, just turning to Shado and ranting about some relationship that was a hoot in the sock. 

Eventually, Laurel and Tommy showed up, sitting across from Oliver and Nyssa together. They were in the middle of a discussion, and Oliver didn’t want to intrude, so he let them continue. Neither of them seemed to notice he was waiting, though, seemingly caught up in their chatter. 

“Oliver!” Laurel finally exclaimed, and Oliver raised his head from his food, looking at her, and then at Tommy. “Sorry about this morning. I had left something in Tommy’s car after the dance so he came to get me so I could leave it at my house,” She explained, and Oliver shrugged before fully processing the sentence. Why was Laurel in Tommy’s car and what did she leave? 

He opened his mouth to ask, but Tommy beat him to it, wrapping his arm around Laurel’s shoulders in the process. “Laurel and I went home together after the dance. You and Felicity went home together after the dance. Catch our drift?” 

Oliver nodded. No way it could be this easy. He looked at Laurel, and her face showed complete agreement and approval. “Just like that?” Oliver asked, just for good measure. 

“Just like that,” Laurel confirmed, and Oliver grinned. He and Laurel were always better friends, anyways.

\-->\--><\--<\--

Felicity looked up from her book for what felt like the millionth time. For some reason, she just couldn’t get into it today. The book wasn’t bad, either. She couldn’t understand what was wrong with her. 

Of course, that voice in the back of her head could inform her on the many things that were all plausible reasons, but she decided to ignore it and factor her disinterest as exhaustion. She snapped her book shut and leaned her head back into her tree, closing her eyes. 

Rain droplets began falling, and Felicity sighed. Looks like she couldn’t avoid getting wet, considering she didn’t have a ride and was just waiting until Oliver finished practice so he could insist on taking her. She allowed herself to picture him behind her closed eyelids, his beautiful grin from the dance popping up, or the cheeky smile he gave her when she kissed his cheek after the dance.

A large droplet slipped off a leaf of the tree, landing smack on her nose, causing her eyes to snap open. She lifted her head, looking out to the field to see the baseball players all filing back into the gym, to her relief. Though she’d deny it to his face, she really hated waiting for Oliver’s practices to be over for a ride home. 

She lulled her head back to the tree once more, knowing it wouldn’t be too long now until Oliver came storming up to her, offering her a ride. For some odd reason, she didn’t feel nervous, or ashamed. She just… wanted to see him. Listen to his words, laugh at his comments. She just wanted him to give her that happiness she had always lacked. 

As planned, not five minutes later, Felicity heard the squish of wet grass and a breath being blown out. She raised her head and opened her eyes, finding Oliver staring down at her. Neither of them said anything, but she stood, wrapping her book bag around her shoulder and approaching his side, heading towards his car. 

“Laurel and I are over,” He suddenly blurted, and Felicity tripped in shock, catching her balance by grabbing Oliver’s arm and righting herself, trying to come up with a good reply. Was he happy about it? Was he sad about it? Was this good or bad news? 

“Did you end it?” She asked instead, grimacing at how unforgiving she probably sounded. “I mean- I’m sorry Oliver. I know you guys were close. I mean, it seemed like you’d been together a while, and well… I hope it wasn’t me and-” 

They had reached his car by now, and Oliver paused, cutting her blabble off by pressing her up against the door of the passenger side. She inhaled, surprised at the forwardness that she rarely saw out of him. 

“You blabble too much,” He said, and Felicity grinned, her nose inches from his. What was happening? What was she thinking? Was he about to do what she thought he was, or was she reading into it too much? The anxiety of it all was too much. 

With trembling hands, she reached up and cupped her hands around his neck, the rain hitting a bit faster now. It was just a distant noise to her, as everything felt, right in that moment. Everything else was just white noise. In that moment, it was just her and Oliver, and their desires. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the cliffhanger, but I had to. So... maybe I'm not sorry. ;)


	13. Get a Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity seal the deal, and the entire gang goes to the Police station to get more information on Ray's attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for waiting, all of you who have been reading from the beginning. You can no longer curse me for my wretched slow burn. Please enjoy this Olicity fluff as the plot speeds up and gets more intricate. You readers mean everything and I'm so thankful for all of your comments and kudos.   
> Chat, recommend and yell at me on tumblr! @ AKBruce

**13: Get a Job**

_ Well, every morning about this time, _

_ she gets me out of my bed cryin' _

_ Get a job _

_ And at breakfast every day,  _

_ she throws the want ads my way _

_ And never fails to say _

_ Get a job _

Oliver was trembling with need, and he could feel Felicity trembling as well, her wet hands against his neck shaking slightly, her voice coming out in quick small breaths, that didn't help Oliver's need go away at all. It made Oliver inch closer, their lips a couple centimetres away, her eyes bright with anticipation and want, mirroring his own. 

He was full on shaking then, and he couldn’t stop if he tried, but Felicity didn’t seem to mind. So, he pushed forward and fluttered his eyes closed just as she did, Felicity prepared, her soft lips meeting his in a light press, but he was quick to open his mouth, tugging on her bottom lip, Felicity letting out a soft sound, Oliver’s throat rasping as he deepened the kiss, sucking at her bottom lip, feeling her teeth skim along his top lip, causing his body to tense, his need soaring straight down his stomach. 

He pulled her closer, grinding his hips into hers, her back arching just slightly against his fingers, his body aching. Her hands made their way up into his hair, her fingers pulling just as Oliver slipped his tongue into her mouth, running it along her teeth, pushing for more, speeding the kiss up with every flick of his tongue across her delicate lips. She groaned, and he let out a low growl at the sound, his pants tightening, his need throbbing through his whole body. 

She pulled back suddenly, gasping for breath, and Oliver inhaled deeply as well, but he did kept his arms around her back, not allowing himself to let go of the moment just yet. She met his eyes, her cheeks red, and he was proud that he had managed to make her that flushed. 

“Oliver, I…” Felicity drifted off and he chuckled at her sentence fragments. “That was…” She tried again and Oliver grinned, pressing a kiss to her nose and then moving down to her jaw, softly kissing her all the way down to her neck, before he looked up once more at her flustered, dazed face. 

“What, no babbles for me?” Oliver quipped, and Felicity giggled, meeting his eyes. Just then Oliver began to notice the rain still dripping down on them, and he quickly opened the door to his car, releasing Felicity’s hips, allowing her to get in. 

He raced to the drivers side, getting in, shaking his wet hair, water droplets shooting onto the dash, Felicity giving a light giggle. Starting the car, he reverserved, heading in the direction he always did when dropping Felicity off. The route was easy now, and he had it utterly memorised. 

Neither of them said much on the ride, sitting in a semi-comfortable silence, though Oliver still couldn’t get over the fact that Felicity wasn’t babbling on and on. He had thought for sure that speechless was not going to be her reaction when they finally kissed. 

Oliver watched her out of the corner of his eyes, though, and he did feel satisfied at the blush that was still creeping along her cheeks. He wondered just how far down that blush went, if it continued down from her neck to other places of Felicity that he had only dreamed of. 

“Tomorrow, after school, I was planning on visiting the Police Station with Laurel to visit Ray,” Felicity said abruptly, and Oliver almost flinched. He knew that Laurel’s dad was an officer, but it still hurt that she planned it with Laurel instead of him. “Tommy might come as well. He’s been really into investigating his father lately, and he still believes that Ray and his dad are somehow connected,” She continued, and Oliver made the final turn onto her street, pulling into the spot he always did when dropping her off. 

He turned to look at her, and she sweeped a piece of her wet plastered hair behind her ear, the piece sticking to her cheek. “Is that an invite?” Oliver asked, keeping the unneeded jealousy at low in his tone the best he could. Felicity bobbed her head yes, biting her lip and looking down at her hands and then back up at him. She seemed almost nervous. 

“Maybe you could take me out afterwards? Verdant is still going through repairs…” She drifted off, and Oliver smirked, loving how nervous she was. Felicity Smoak, the enigma. She didn’t wait for him, apparently. She took initiative. 

“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” He settled on, inching closer to her. She was leaning forward as well, though Oliver was pretty sure she wasn’t aware of her movement. “Dinner,” Oliver said, brushing his lips against hers softly. “Then maybe something else afterwards.” 

Felicity grinned and locked her lips with his in a deep kiss before pulling away much earlier than he wanted and opening the car door, the only evidence of her having been in the seat being the wet seat she left behind. 

“Goodnight, Felicity,” Oliver sighed to himself and pulled out, wondering just how long it would take before Felicity Smoak made him lose his mind. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

“You’re scared, I get it. But this is necessary. I promise. He’ll reveal more with you there, even if he doesn’t mean to!” Felicity sighed. Tommy was probably right, but he was shit at encouragement, as much as she liked him. 

Oliver squeezed her hand, and she looked up at his grim, tight-lipped smile, before looking back at the dooming doors of the Police station. Her panic was settling in, even if it was ridiculous. Then again, fear has no limitations, no matter how safe one is. 

“You’re right Tommy,” She finally said, trying to sound weak, hoping no one noticed the quiver in her voice. With that, she stepped up to the doors and pulled one open, entering the station, Oliver and Tommy right behind her. 

The three were greeted by Laurel, who had been talking to one of the Deputy’s but immediately approached them when she spotted them. She was quick, and offered Felicity a small hug; which to Felicity meant more than Laurel probably realised it did. 

“He’s just down the hall in one of the m0re reinforced cells. You ready?” She said the last question to the group, though her gaze was pinned on Felicity. Felicity nodded, taking Oliver’s big hand in her own once more and following Laurel’s clicking heels down the hallway. 

She glanced around the hallway as they walked, observing the old cement walls and mostly closed steel doors. They passed one that was open and Felicity caught a glimpse of a deputy quietly speaking with a criminal. She looked forward and swallowed just as Laurel came to a hault in front of a closed steal door. 

“Daddy’s inside waiting for us,” Laurel said, and Tommy nodded, not waiting to push the door open. Laurel followed Tommy, and, with Oliver’s hand on her back giving the lightest of pushes, Felicity entered the cell as well. 

She was overcome with emotions when she spotted Ray leaning against the left back corner of the cell, his face bruised, one of his eyes now black. His eyes met hers and he pushed himself off the wall and right up against the steel bars, his eyes aflame. “Felicity, scumming it with the rich folk. I never knew you could be that trashy.” 

Felicity gulped but didn’t reply, looking to Mr. Lance instead, who just held a palm up to Ray, as a sign to stop. Ray rolled his eyes but didn’t look away from Felicity, and she couldn’t help but shrink into Oliver. 

“Oh, I see!” Ray exclaimed, his knuckles turning white from the strain of his clenched fists on the metal bars. “You’re already screwing Oliver Queen! You wh-” 

“That is enough, Mr. Palmer!” Mr. Lance said, cutting him off before he could insult Felicity, though it wasn’t Ray that the Officer was looking at. Felicity looked up at Oliver, surprised to see Oliver’s face in that icy rage state that she’d only seen once before, the night of the fight. How had this already gone so poorly? 

Tommy broke the testosterone showdown, taking a few steps closer to the bars, staying out of Ray’s reach. Felicity watched as Tommy crossed his arms over his chest, wondering what Tommy was about to say. 

“Yes, your dad was involved with me. I already told Quentin over there that fact,” Ray said, just as Tommy opened his mouth to ask a question. Felicity looked at Mr. Lance, who looked irritated that Ray felt he could call him by his first name. 

“But,” Quentin cut in, going to Tommy and putting his hand on Tommy’s shocked shoulder, “He won’t tell us how your father was involved, or any other information, for that matter,” He said, and Felicity watched as a muscle flared in Tommy’s jaw as he took a step back right into a comforting arm from Laurel. 

Felicity wasn’t sure where to go with that. What could she say that would get Ray so worked up that he would accidentally expose information? It’s not like Ray was bright. 

Felicity suddenly straightened her back and released Oliver’s hand before taking a step forward so she was next to Laurel and Tommy, meeting Ray’s eyes. “I don’t believe you.” 

Ray scoffed, and Felicity raised a brow, tilting her head in a questioning and innocent manner. “No, really, Ray. You would’ve told me, I’m sure of it. You told me  _ everything,” _ She continued, emphasising the everything. Ray always liked it when he thought he was smarter than Felicity, a step ahead of her ‘slow’ mind games. 

“You really are stupid! Merlyn recruited me and some of the boys, but we would never tell you,” Ray said, and Quentin quickly jotted down that others were involved, giving Felicity a nod to continue pushing, when she felt Oliver’s arm cross her chest. She looked up at him and gave him a look, hoping he would see she was trying to get Ray to insult her. “Oh don’t give me that look Mr. Queen. You’re little sister’s involved with one of us that Merlyn hired, so you can get off your perch!”

Felicity bit back her grin. This was going to be so much easier than she had anticipated. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

Around thirty minutes after Oliver’s genius girl had doped her ex-boyfriend into spilling his entire story, Oliver found himself being ushered out of Ray’s cell along with his friends. Quentin had said something about how it was a school night, and they all needed to go home and finish homework, even though Oliver and Felicity had already planned on going out. 

Oliver pushed open the door to the station, holding it open for Felicity as she passed through and took her hand, about to head to his car to take her to dinner just as Tommy yelled at both of them. Oliver turned in unison with Felicity to look at Tommy, who was frantically waving a piece of paper above his head as if it was a flag. 

“Tommy, Felicity and I have plans-” Oliver tried to shove him off, surprised when Felicity stepped towards Tommy and said, “What’s that?” At the exact same time. Felicity looked to Oliver and mouthed ‘ _ sorry’ _ before snatching the paper out of Tommy’s hand. 

Oliver sighed and rolled his eyes at how much trouble he had controlling his doe, the loose cannon. So, not seeing any other options he stepped behind Felicity and looked at the paper over her shoulder. Scanning it, he raised his brows, and looked to Tommy. 

“Did you steal Officer Lance’s notes?” Oliver asked in a scolding tone, and Tommy held his hands up in defense. Felicity was still focused on the paper, but Oliver was more interested in the how of Tommy getting it than the actual information. He wasn’t the snooping type. Tommy could call him when someone needed to be pumelled. 

“Oliver, you hurt me,” Tommy said, and Oliver just jutted his chin at Tommy, waiting. “Alright, I might have asked Laurel if I could look at her dad’s notes and then accidentally may have copied them all down on a seperate sheet of paper,” Tommy said, giving a strained toothy grin. “Oops?” 

“Tommy Merlyn, I could kiss you!” Felicity exclaimed suddenly, and Oliver looked at her with a hurt face. Just because Tommy was more interested in whatever his father was doing didn’t make him better than Oliver.  _ School your jealousy Queen, it’s just an expression _ . “Come on, we have to go talk to Roy,” Felicity said, and Tommy nodded his head vehemently, the two rushing towards the parking lot, Oliver standing there in shock. “Now, Oliver!” She yelled, and Oliver almost jumped, jogging to catch up with the two busybodies. 

“Unlock your car, Oliver,” Tommy said, and Oliver exhaled in a showy way, doing as Tommy had requested, plopping himself down into the driver’s seat next to Felicity, Tommy squeezing himself in the back. “Well, let’s get moving!” Tommy practically cheered, sounding like a child headed to disney. Oliver turned on the car but didn’t pull out, turning to look at the two crazy teenagers in the car. 

“Okay, sorry I’m not Rocky King, but why exactly do we need to talk to Ray,  _ now? _ ” Oliver asked, not even trying to hide his disappointment this time. Felicity had even asked him to go out, not the other way around. So how was he stuck in his car, about to drive to hells knows where with his new dolly and best friend. 

“Oliver, I know this isn’t how you wanted to spend tonight. But, I promise, we will do that dinner soon. Cross my heart. Now, let’s get going, there isn’t a second to loose. Twist the rod!” Felicity babbled, fast as usual. Oliver sighed for what felt like the thousandth time in the past hour and put the clutch in reverse, pulling out of the spot in the station and heading down the directions that Tommy and Felicity were rapid fire attacking him with.


	14. A Teenager in Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy, Felicity and Oliver question Roy, and Oliver's baseball becomes a bit more interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back with a longgg chapter, which is an early apology since I already know the next update will be late (I will be on vacation with no wifi). I'm really pleased with how this is going. I hope you all will excuse any mistakes, I didn't have time to edit.   
> Chat with me on tumblr: @AKBruce   
> Enjoy!

**14: A Teenager in Love**

_ One day I feel so happy _

_ Next day I feel so sad _

_ I guess I'll learn to take _

_ The good with the bad _

_ Cause each night I ask the stars up above _

_ Why must I be a teenager in love?  _

Felicity paced Roy’s carpet, her mind whirling. Her head was tilted down and she watched the carpet blur as she bit her nail, racking her brain. The pieces were jagged and roughly cut, seeming as if they would never fit into the bigger puzzle. 

“Felicity, please, you’re making my brain ache,” Tommy said from the bed, and Felicity stopped, planting her feet on the ground next to Oliver’s raising her head to look at the speaker. Tommy was sat next to Roy on Roy’s bed, his gaze on Felicity, a pencil in hand. 

After the three had rushed to Roy’s and Roy had given all the information he could, the three had found themselves still in Roy’s room, trying to theorize with him. Roy hadn’t had much, since Ray had accepted the deal for all of them without asking the other’s say, the little shit. Roy had basically explained that he hadn’t recieved much information, and was just doing as Ray requested whenever Ray did request. 

“There’s  _ got  _ to be more!” Felicity burst, raising her head to her forehead and scrunching her browd up against her hand, a nervous habit. She felt an arm brush her back and whipped her head to her right. Oliver gave her a small encouraging smile and Felicity just rolled her eyes in reply. As much as she adored Oliver, she knew that this wasn’t his space. 

“Roy, you’re sure there was no one else Merlyn approached?” Tommy asked, leaning towards the younger boy, who had been staring at his lap, his hands twitching. He looked up then and shrugged at Tommy. 

“I’m sorry, Tommy,” Roy said, the apology sounding genuine to Felicity, at least. “It was just Ray, myself and Cooper there. The police already question Cooper, and he…” Roy drifted off, wringing his hands around each other over and over again. It was clear that he wanted as little to do with this investigation as possible, and Felicity couldn’t blame him. Hell, if it hadn’t been her semi-abusive ex-boyfriend in this position, she’d want nothing to do with the situation either. 

“We have the notes from Cooper, Roy,” Felicity said, making her way to the bed. Promptly shoving Tommy out of the way, she sat herself next to Roy, the bed squeaking underneath the extra weight. Not being the best at comfort, she settled on resting a palm on Roy’s shoulder. Roy lifted his gaze from his hands once again to look at Felicity, and she offered him what she hoped was a look of understanding. Based on Roy’s small smile, she must’ve somewhat achieved. “Thank you so much for your information. We’ll leave you out of the rest of the situation as much as we possibly can.” 

Felicity meant it, too. It wasn’t Roy’s fault he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She knew all about what it was like to be poor and abandoned in the Glades. Every cent, every cig, every valuable counted. Roy had just been doing what he felt best to survive. And, in Felicity’s opinion, following and not talking back to Ray Palmer was a way to survive. Talking back to Ray never ended well. 

“Sorry I couldn’t help more,” Roy said, lifting his gaze and looking straight at Oliver, though his words were directed at Felicity and Tommy since they had been the two questioning him.  _ Well that solved that question _ . Roy definitely knew that Oliver was Thea’s older brother. Meaning Roy also knew that Thea had blabbed about their relationship to Oliver. 

Felicity inspected Oliver’s gaze, noticing how tense he was. Not like tense was not an Oliver Queen emotion, because it totally was, but he just seemed tense in a different sense. A shiver went down Felicity’s spine as a thought emerged in her brain, unlike her and unwanted.  _ What if that tenseness was due to her? Could it be sexual tension? _

Felicity blinked and shoved her fantasies of causing the tension in Oliver’s face to the back of her mind, not needing the distraction. But, she felt it being no avail, since heat had always risen throughout her body, the traitor.  _ Mind over matter, Smoak. _

Oliver shifted his gaze from his little sister’s lover to Roy, causing Felicity to snap out of her daze. He jerked his head towards the door and Tommy nodded, giving Felicity a shove off the bed. Felicity stood, pulling her hand off Roy’s shoulder, giving it a single pat. Making her way to the door, she took Oliver’s hand in her own and pushed the old wood open, a cold breeze meeting her exposed skin. 

At least now her body heat could be determined by the  _ actual weather _ and not Oliver’s sexy glare, even if it was an eerie cold outside. 

The three gathered in a circle at the trunk of Oliver’s car, Felicity releasing his hand as he leaned against the car, placing her hands in her jackets fluffy pockets. She had to admit that the pockets weren’t as warm as Oliver, but would have to do as a close second. She gave him a wink as he looked down at her now pocket covered hands, before looking to Tommy, who was, once more, scanning his notes. “How we looking?” 

Tommy raised his eyes to Felicity, and Felicity was surprised by how tired he already looked from just a few hours of investigating. His features were all sagging, as if he had just woken up and still hadn’t gained full control of his muscles. His eyes were focused, though, underneath the layer of exhaustion that he was trying to hide. 

“Hey,” Felicity pulled one hand from a pocket, reaching out to place her palm on his shoulder, just as she did to Roy only minutes ago. “Lets look this over tomorrow. I think we all could use some relief now, eh?” She tried for lighthearted and cringed at how her words had spilled out. “Relief like sleep, relieved of duties, you catch me.” 

Oliver snorted and Felicity pulled her hand off Tommy’s shoulder just to slap her boy’s knee before giving her attention to Tommy once more. Tommy nodded, though he didn’t look like he was going to get any sleep any time soon.  _ If only we could follow through on the promises we make to ourselves. _

“Oliver, take us home?” Felicity asked in a sickly sweet tone, Tommy letting out a laugh. Oliver rolled his eyes at Felicity, but pushed off his car and headed toward the driver’s door, unlocking the car. Felicity met Tommy’s eyes and gave him a thumbs up as she headed to the passenger door. He returned the body language with a salute, and Felicity grinned, pulling the passenger door open and plopping her body down on the seat. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

Oliver sat himself next to Felicity at lunch the next day, pleasantly surprised to see her at their table. She was looking at something on the table with Tommy, Nyssa and Laurel talking in hushed tones to each other across the table. Oliver peaked his head over Felicity’s shoulder and saw that Felicity had re-written all the notes the three had gathered from both Palmer and Roy. 

Tommy was pointing at one specific line on the page, and Felicity wrote something next to it before crossing out the line just below it. Oliver released his gaze and glanced down instead at his lunch, huffing out a breath. Neither Felicity nor Tommy noticed, but Laurel turned her focus from Nyssa to him. 

“They’ve been like that for the past five minutes,” Laurel said, reaching her hands to the top of her head and re-adjusting a pin, gathering more hair into her bun. Oliver raised a brow and she flicked her eyes to Felicity and Tommy and then back to him, her gaze knowing. Oliver looked down and bit his lip, not realising his jealousy was that prominent. 

He wasn’t jealous of Tommy specifically, since he knew Felicity liked him as much as he was into her, but he was jealous of how easily the two theorized. Oliver would admit that he wasn’t the smartest, and this whole situation proved just that. 

Just then Tommy looked up from the page, his eyes scanning the cafeteria. “No Roy or Cooper today,” He muttered, and Oliver saw Felicity’s pencil scribble that fact down in some box on the page. “Ollie, how do you feel about driving me and Felicity to give Cooper a not-so-friendly visit later today?” Tommy asked, meeting Oliver’s eyes over Felicity’s hunched over head. Oliver groaned but nodded. 

“I have baseball after school, though, and since the big game is in two days I can’t miss practice, so you guys will have to wait,” Oliver reminded, his words forcing his brain to leave the worry of their ‘investigation’ and soar into the worry of baseball. He really needed to workout or something. Coach Dig hated it when he wasn’t putting in his one hundred percent. For some reason, the Coach could always tell, as well. 

“Hey, no worries,” Felicity said, raising her head from her paper and placing her hand atop Oliver’s on the table. Oliver squeezed her hand, interlocking their fingers. What was it about this girl? “I can’t believe I forgot about the game! I’ll totally be there, since I obviously don’t have shift. I mean, I would miss a shift to see your game anyways, but, you get what I mean.” 

Oliver kissed Felicity’s cheek lightly, silently thanking her, just as a loud voice rang out from across the table as a thump sounded. “Alright you loveboats, not at my school,” Sara declared, and Felicity blushed, giving her best friend a glare. Sara had sat herself next to Nyssa, who seemed a tad uncomfortable, but hadn’t said anything yet. Oliver admired how confident Sara was, as if she didn’t give two shits what anyone else thought of her. 

“Sara, you big-tickle, where you been?” Laurel said excitedly, looking over Nyssa to smile at Sara. Oliver’s heart clenched. Laurel was a whole new person, and it was all thanks to one brawl in one diner in the Glades and the kindness a waitress showed to her. “You’re coming over before the game, right?” She asked, and Sara nodded.

Nyssa looked at Laurel and then Sara, her face losing it’s tension. “Alright, you’re coming too, then, Felicity,” Nyssa decided, and Felicity used the hand she wasn’t holding over Oliver’s to fiddle with the hair in front of her ear. 

“She’s coming,” Sara said, and Felicity shrugged before Tommy tapped her shoulder and pointed at something on their paper, all her focus being drawn to that. Sara rolled her eyes and turned to engage with Nyssa, who looked the least snotty Oliver had seen in a while, and that was saying a lot. 

Oliver turned his gaze to Laurel, who was already looking at him. There was something hidden in her eyes, but he really couldn’t tell if it was a shade of anger, so he decided he’d speak up anyways. “Thank you for organising that questioning at the Station. It meant a lot.” 

Laurel offered him that bull snatching smile of hers, her eyes gleaming, the dark shade gone. “Well, I help my friend’s when I can,” She said, and Oliver nodded to her.  _ Friend. He could live with that. _

\-->\--><\--<\--

His hands were unrelenting, trailing up and down her back repetitively, sending a constant rush of sparks down her back, the hairs at the nape of her neck standing all the way up. She moved her hands up from where she had them wrapped around his neck, running them through his hair and arching her back as he trailed his lips down her jaw and neck. 

It was stimulating like she’d never felt before and she angled her face so his lips met hers again and she pushed back, trying to gain some control. Oliver was so damn good at this. 

Her back hit a set of lockers and Oliver moved his hands from her back, grabbing her’s from his hair and pinning them against the cool metal, caging her in, his mouth sucking at the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder, Felicity unable to hold back a groan. 

“Fuck, Oliver, your coach is gonna-” She stopped as his lips met her mouth again and he nipped at her bottom lip, her hips pushing against him at the possession in the nips of his teeth against her swelling bottom lip. 

“Fuck baseball,” Oliver muttered, releasing her hands pinned against the lockers only to give her lip one final bite before pulling his lips back, trailing his arms down to her hips. Felicity opened her eyes to meet his, her body still on fire, her upper thighs feeling slick. 

“Go back to practice,” Felicity breathed out, and Oliver raised an eyebrow. “Oh, not like I want you too! I just don’t want you to be late or in trouble because I know it’s important to you and ugh you’re enjoying this.”

Oliver smiled and gave her one final peck before grabbing his bat and throwing his helmet on, disappearing through the locker room door leading to the outdoors a few seconds later. Felicity peaked out from the corner and creeped her way to the door leading back to the school, opening it slightly and sneaking out after being sure the coast was clear. 

She made her way down the hall, running her fingers through her half up hair, the bun loser than it was ten minutes ago. She hadn’t anticipated Oliver wanting to rendezvous with her during the ten minute break that the players got in the middle of practice, but when he’d signaled to her, she didn’t wait to go meet him. 

Now, of course, she had to relocate Tommy, who’d probably, knowing him, had gone off and did the same with Laurel, who’d stayed after school to help with the questions they were forming together for their questioning of Cooper. Honestly, Felicity already felt bad for Cooper. Oliver and Tommy would not go easy with these questions considering he was the last person down the trail of Ray’s questioning. If they didn’t get anything from him, they would end up back at square zero. 

After a few minutes of wandering, Felicity finally located the two in the photography room. Laurel was in photography and was quite good at it since she wanted to go into some form of photography that went with law. Felicity had to hand it to her, she was aiming high in her career goals in this patriarchal world. 

The two didn’t notice her creep in, and Felicity cleared her throat awkwardly, the two pulling apart. Tommy offered her a lazy knowing smile.  _ Guess she wasn’t really allowed to judge. _

“Back to questions?” Felicity asked, and Tommy nodded as the three all gathered around the scattered evidence papers, some which Laurel had even grabbed from her Father’s office, and continued plotting. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

“Alright you cats, hit the showers and get out of this corral! Don’t forget, just one more practice before one of the biggest games of the season, don’t want to see none of you boys slacking!” Coach Dig yelled, and all of the team, including Oliver saluted. Oliver moved to grab his stuff and go find his group, but Dig put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “Oliver, can I hold you for a second?” Oliver nodded and turned to look at his coach, wondering what he could have done wrong this time. 

Oliver watched as he took his hat off and ran a hand over his sweaty short hair, the sweat gleaming brightly against his dark skin. Coach Diggle was an inspiration to Oliver. Being a dark skin, Diggle was living in a terrible world. Oliver was not unaware of the racism that was spread thin throughout the world. Luckily, Star City was one of the least racist cities in the US, but Coach was still the only coloured teacher/coach in the entire district, and it was only because he had never failed to bring the team to state finals from the first year he was interning there. 

Oliver had immense respect for the man, but he really just wanted to see Felicity and was not in the mood to have an argument about how bad his game was oing. “Whatdya need, Sir?” Oliver asked, and Diggle pulled his hand off Oliver’s shoulder, meeting his eyes. 

“Do you know where I worked before I coached at this school, Mr. Queen?” the Coach asked, and Oliver blinked, confused at what this conversation had to do with Oliver’s poor game, but he went along with it. 

“No, I don’t know where, Sir,” Oliver replied, and Diggled nodded, crossing his massive arms over his chest. Oliver wasn’t short, but the Coach was a giant, almost a whole head taller than Oliver. 

“I worked for extremely low income for none other than Malcolm Merlyn. Your friend’s father, if I’m correct. Worked the fields to bring food to the table for his diner chains,” Diggle said. “I never had a harder job than that one. Now, when I ‘ear a couple of my students snoopin’ around in some of Merlyn’s business, dragging some ladies along with ‘em, I want to know why.” 

Oliver swallowed, wondering where the Coach could have learned they were investigating Merlyn. “Tommy’s just worried about his father, sir,” Oliver tried, and Diggle let out a deep quick laugh, giving Oliver a knowing look. 

“Don’t give me no bullshit, son. I’ve seen your blonde girlfriend and Merlyn’s son snooping around about Palmer’s case on multiple occasions, now,” Oliver raised his brows. He’d have to inform his friends to be more subtle about their snooping. “Bottom line is, I wanna help, son.” 

Oliver didn’t try to hide the shock in his face this time, and Diggle let out another one of those laughs. “I’m a Black-man, son. Anything I can do to get rid of that  low paying sonuvabitch using my people and I’m in.” 

“Alright sir,” Oliver said, letting a small smile slip at how the Coach wasn’t afraid to insult authority. “Well, we’re talking to a suspect later today. I’ll have one of my group of myself update you about it tomorrow. You have any info that could help?” Oliver asked, feeling very out of his own zone. This was more of a Tommy or Felicity job.

“After the game, on friday. I’ll chat with you and you’re crew of cats then,” The Coach said, and Oliver nodded, making a mental note. Hopefully this info would make Felicity happy. “Don’t forget to run tonight, though. That game is still important. Now get out of here.” 

Oliver nodded and shook the Coach’s hand before taking off towards the door just as Felicity, Laurel and Tommy pushed through the backdoor’s of the school, spotting him. Tommy lifted a bag up, and, with a smile, Oliver realised it was his. His friend’s impatience sometimes astounds him.


	15. Smoke Gets in your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew talks to Cooper, who leads both our lovers towards their mothers for separate reasons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not as late as I thought it'd be, pretty proud of myself. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Family bonding ensues.   
> Enjoy, and don't forget to chat with me @AKBruce on tumblr!

**15: Smoke Gets in your Eyes**

_ They asked me how I knew _

_ My true love was true _

_ Oh, I of course replied _

_ Something here inside cannot be denied _

_ Oh, when your heart's on fire _

_ You must realize _

_ Smoke gets in your eyes _

Felicity’s heart was beating lightly, and butterflies were already jamming around in her stomach as Oliver’s engine rattled, Tommy yelling directions from the backseat. Felicity rung her fingers together over and over again, tuning Tommy and Oliver out, looking at the landscape but not really looking. 

Cooper had always scared her. Yes, Ray was supposed to be the threatening one in the group, but since he was into her, she hadn’t been as scared of him the way she was Cooper. For some reason he just… freaked her out. He had an intense, devouring gaze, and he was tall and brooding. 

Felicity snorted, realising that the description she gave Cooper was the same description one could give her boyfriend. “Something wrong?” Felicity blinked and turned her head to look at said boyfriend, giving him a nod. 

“Just want to get all this over with,” Felicity let out, and Oliver nodded, sharply turning as Tommy screeched another direction from the back. Neither of them were very good at this, and it didn’t help that Oliver wasn’t the best driver. 

A few blocks later the three found themselves standing in a deep, now dark section of the glades with the cold autumn air blowing through Felicity’s hair. She automatically reached for Oliver’s hand and intertwined their fingers together. 

“Well,” Tommy said, shuffling up the stairs and to the front door of the beat-up apartments, “We’ve got a case to solve. After you,” He said, and Felicity made her way into the beat up building behind Oliver. Oliver pointed to the stairs and Tommy nodded. “Apartment 2F.” 

Oliver made his way up the narrow stairs, and Felicity dropped his hand, not wanting to make her way up the stairs sideways. Tommy followed behind her and the three pressed on until they faced the closed door of Apartment 2F. 

Oliver stepped in front of Felicity, almost covering her completely so she had to stand on her toes to see the door, and knocked thrice. Felicity sharply inhaled, waiting for the door to open. Ten seconds. Thirty seconds. A minute. 

Felicity breathed out and turned her head to look at Tommy, who gave her a look of ‘who knows’ back. She tapped her heel against the ground, the laces on her boot clicking against the leather. Oliver stayed tense, and finally, after three minutes or so, the door opened with a bang. 

“Queen,” Came Cooper’s voice, and Felicity raised herself on her heels to spot Cooper, his eyes bloodshot, his face unshaved. “Merlyn. Snake. The fuck do you schoolboys want?” 

Felicity didn’t even wince at being referred to as Snake. There was much worse, though Oliver’s fist did curl. She placed her hidden hand on his back and patted. “Move. We have questions.” 

Cooper raised his brows at Oliver’s command, but Oliver just pushed past him into the house, Felicity and Tommy following. Cooper slammed the door shut behind the three and picked up the bottle of liquor he had obviously been drinking, taking a swig. 

Felicity exhaled, calming down. A drunk Cooper was much safer than a sober one. He was a sappier, groveling drunk. Felicity knew, almost every event at Ray’s house involved some alcohol, though heavens know where he got them. “What questions have brought you nobles to my abode?” 

Felicity rolled her eyes as Tommy cleared his throat, Cooper taking another sip. “Ray admitted that my father hired you to trash Verdant that night a week ago. That’s all he would say. We were wondering if you knew anything more on that.”

Cooper’s face tightened and he half-slammed the bottle on a little run-down tv table, sitting down on the only couch in the messy room, leaving Felicity and the boys to awkwardly stand around the couch. Felicity, noticing how Cooper had become more serious, ran her hand comfortingly along Oliver’s arm before moving around his big body and sitting on the opposite end of the brown couch from Cooper, trying to look semi-friendly. 

“We already talked to Roy, and he told us how bad it was. Please just be honest. We aren’t going to the police. We’re just trying to get to the bottom of the bigger plans Tommy’s father has planned. Catch my drift?” Felicity said, and Cooper didn’t shift in emotion, just picking up the bottle and finishing the bit of liquid off. 

“He’s a scary one, you’re father. Creepy, too,” Cooper said after a long silence, and Felicity turned her head to look at Tommy in surprise, realising Cooper was referring to Merlyn. “Me ‘n Roy ‘n Ray are big guys, you know? We do bad things, aren’t scared of nothing. But he still managed to scare us.” 

Felicity silently inhaled, fluttering her eyelids for a second before shifting her gaze back to Cooper. His face was solemn, and he reached for another unopened bottle, popping the cap off. There seemed to be lots of unopened bottles scattered around the small studio-like room. He took a small sip before realising a breath. 

“He said he’d find a way to get me out of the hellhole, one way or ‘nother. Didn’t know what it meant and still don’t, but I hate this place. Offered a better livin’ space if I did, a worse one if I didn’t,” His eyes were glazed, the look that Felicity knew too well of someone who was buzzed remembering something. It happened often in her own home, with her own mom. 

“What’d he mean by a worse place if you didn’t?” Tommy asked, and Felicity almost jumped, Tommy having silently made his way to behind where she was seated on the couch. His eyes were tight and he looked scared. Family business was the worst business. 

Cooper shrugged. “Don’t know. He just said that to me ‘n Ray though. Threatened to tell Roy’s parent’s ‘bout his chick or somethin’. Me ‘n Ray though, we agree, ‘cause we didn’t want no rich man huntin’ us down. Roy said yes too, after a bit. That was is though. Haven’t heard from him since.” 

He inhaled, taking a large chug from him bottle. Felicity wrung her hands and looked towards Oliver, shooting him a look. He pulled out the paper they had written questions on and began scribbling. Felicity looked back to Cooper, who was staring straight at her, as if he was sizing her up. 

“I’d talk to your mom. There’s a whole bunch of junk goin’ on in that diner of yours too, he mentioned somethin’ ‘bout that, too,” Cooper said, and Felicity nodded. Though she didn’t want to, talking to her mom had been on the back of her mind. 

“Thank you, Cooper. You’ve given more then we asked for,” Felicity said sincerely, and he waved his hand at her before offering the bottle of liquid out to her in a ‘your welcome’ gesture. Felicity tilted her lip upward and stood, looking at the two boys. 

“Alright, now get out,” Cooper ordered, and Felicity decided she didn’t want to push her luck. Grabbing Oliver’s hand, without Tommy far behind, she pulled him to the door, opening and going out, not letting go until they were back at his car. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

Oliver slammed the front door of his house closed, leaning back against the wooden frame in exhaustion. After Cooper’s, he had dropped Tommy off at the station to hang out with Laurel and then Felicity at Verdant, since she had been called in for some work-related item. 

Dropping his car keys on the mantel next to the door where his parents also put theirs, he stalked into the kitchen, throwing his bag on the stairs on the way. 

His mom was waiting for him in the kitchen, her eyes glued to some romance novel, as they always were. “Good evening Ma,” Oliver said, and Moira looked up, her face tight. She patted the seat next to her at the table and Oliver made his way over. He had seen this coming, he hadn’t spoken to her about school or baseball in the past week. 

She stood and walked over to the fridge, pulling out some food that she probably had made for him earlier and placing it in front of him on the table. “Made you a sandwich, though you never made it home to eat it.” 

Oliver sighed. “I know Ma, I’m sorry, I’ve been home late so often, but, I promise, I’ll start coming home earlier soon, I’m just going through some stuff, and-” Moira slammed her book closed, causing Oliver to stop his apology, his eyes flickering from his sandwich to her. 

Her face was grim, and she was undoubtedly angry. Had he done something wrong that she found out about? The case? “Out late with that glades waitress of yours?” 

Oliver blinked, the truth suddenly dawning on him. His mom had found out about Felicity.  _ Shit. _ This wasn’t good. Anything but Felicity. “What?” He mustered out, trying to sound like he wasn’t sure what was going on. 

He turned down to his food, taking a big bite before turning to look at his mom. She was running her fingers over the wood panelling on the table, and she looked angry. Why did she have to try and control his life? Why couldn’t she just get over the fact that he was going to like who he liked? She could control many things in his life, but emotions were not one of them. 

“You know full well,” She pouted, and Oliver took another bite, trying to come up with an excuse, a loophole. “No excuses. I’ve seen and heard about it all. I’m sorry Oliver, but that’s over. I refuse to let you be with someone of that low calibur. You are going places, and I cannot let some lowlife with a nice body stop that.” 

Oliver’s face twisted, and he felt his fists tighten around the sandwich. He set it down softly and swallowed, turning his body fully towards his mom, his temper rising. “She is  _ not _ a lowlife. She is my girlfriend, and I love her!” Oliver shouted. He tried to ignore how the love flew out without him even meaning to. 

In the whole truth though, he knew it was true. He was, and had been, for a while, in love with Felicity Smoak. Denial wasn’t even worth it for him, anymore. Anyone who saw him around her could tell. Hell, sometimes he wondered if she could tell. He knew she didn’t love him back, but that didn’t make it any less real. 

His mother gasped, and her arms came up. She gripped his cheeks, not painfully, but her skinny fingers held his jaw in place. He met her shocked eyes. “No. You don’t. I promise you, you don’t.” 

“You’re wrong. You always think you’re right, Ma, but you’re not. I’m happy. She makes me happy. Happier than I’ve been in a while. Please,  _ please, _ don’t take this away from me,” Oliver didn’t care that his voice cracked, or that he was begging. 

His mom was shaking, and her eyes were welling with tears. Oliver looked at her in confusion as a tear slid down her cheek. “Oh, Ollie, my boy, my baby,” She stuttered out, the tears coming faster. Her hands moved from his cheeks to around his neck, and she pulled him into a tight hug. Oliver wrapped his arms around her and patted her back. 

“You love me Ma, I know you do. You order me around because of Da and act all stiff and perfect, but I know you’re passionate on the inside. Please, Ma,” He whispered, and she shook with sobs some more, her small body as close to his as possible. 

“Oh, Ollie. I love you, and I’m happy for you, of course I am,” She stuttered out, her sobs becoming less frequent, her breath calming. “What am I gonna tell your father?” Oliver smiled at what she had said, but did freeze at her last question. For that, was the million dollar question. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

The cold midnight air blew against Felicity’s exposed neck. She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself and began walking faster, her mom keeping up pace. 

They had helped with the diner renovation decor for the entire night after Oliver had dropped her off. She hadn’t struck conversation with her mom yet, though her gut was screaming at her too. Or maybe that was just her empty stomach trying to murder her as they made their commute home in the dark night. 

Her mom hadn’t spoken much, which was odd for her, though Felicity wasn’t sure what the two would talk about. Ever since the fight that night, her mom had been distant. Felicity had tried to convince herself that it was because her mom wasn’t sure how to talk to Felicity about Oliver, but now she knew she had to face the truth. 

“Mom, can I ask you a question?” She finally murmured, and her mom turned her red face to look at Felicity, the cold evident in her mom’s face as well. When her mom didn’t argue, Felicity swallowed and then gathered her thoughts. “That night of the fight, had you talked to Merlyn before of after that?” 

Her mom didn’t react, which shocked Felicity, just looked at the cement of the sidewalk and the two made a turn headed towards their section of the glades, away from the nicer part, where Verdant was located. The wind picked up, and Felicity heard her mom inhale. 

“I will answer you, I promise that. But why do you ask, sweetheart?” Donna asked, and Felicity squeezed her eyes shut. She hated lying to her mom, but she convinced herself it was fine because it was mostly a half-truth. 

“After Ray, um, got arrested, we went to visit him at the station. He mentioned that Tommy’s dad had hired him or something to trash the diner, and it sounded really legit, so I just wanted to make sure you weren’t in any trouble or anything-” Her mom laughed abruptly, and Felicity stopped her babble, turning to look at her mom, whose eyes were facing the sky as they walked. 

“I’m the mother, Felicity,” She said, and Felicity nodded. She knew this, and had always known this. Since they were left on their own, though, they had always been on a ‘take care of each other’ basis. So why was her mom suddenly pulling the ‘I’m the mom’ card? “Yes, I’ve talked to Mr. Merlyn. We’ve discussed renovations and such. He plans to open up some more diners and other service places, so we’ve been talking about where they could be put and how they could be arranged. Strictly normal business.”

Felicity nodded, mentally noting everything her mom said, repeating the words in her head so she wouldn’t forget them. They could be incorporated into the investigation, she knew it. She felt relieved at the same time, though, to know that her mom wasn’t a part of the craziness of Malcolm. 

“Okay, thanks mom. I love you,” Felicity said, pulling her hand out of her pocket to place it into her mom’s pocket, wrapping her palm around her mom’s hand. 

\-->\--><\--<\-- 

Oliver made his way to his car, a heavy weight of the night ahead thickly layering on his shoulders. He popped open the trunk of his car and threw his school bag in, trading it with his baseball bag. Closing the trunk he startled as two hands wrapped around his waist. He looked down, about to flip the person behind him but found himself grinning when he saw they were two tiny hands with glitter nail polish on their fingers. 

“Hey babe,” He said, turning around and sitting up on his trunk, pulling Felicity in between his legs, her shining face brightening his mood, as it always did. The conversation with his mom loomed in the back of his head, but he ignored it. He didn’t care what his dad thought. 

Her hair was in that slick ponytail that she loved wearing it in, and a red bandana was tied around her head, that same leather jacket covering her shoulders. Her face was brighter than usual though, and Oliver was a bit nervous about what she was about to tell him. 

“My mom’s clean,” She said, and Oliver raised a brow in confusion. “I mean, clean from Merlyn’s fiasco. She’s not like an addict or anything. I mean- ugh. Stop me, please-” Oliver leaned in and placed a deep kiss on her lips, Felicity’s mouth automatically melting into his, her words drifting off and she placed her hands around his waist and stood on her toes against him. 

“I’m so glad, Felicity,” He said once he pulled back, and she grinned, nodding. His confession last night boomed in his mind, clanging around throughout his body. He pulled away a bit to look at her face. “So, are you coming tonight?”

Felicity raised her hand to her mouth, opening it in faux surprise. “Oh, was that tonight?” She asked innocently, and Oliver kicked her thigh with his leg. “Miss you looking good in the biggest game of the season? No thank you. I’ll be there.”

He smiled and pulled her into him, resting his chin on her head, slowly feeling those three attacking words becoming more prominent in his mind. 


	16. Yakety Yak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver plays in the biggest game of the season with his family and friends watching. Robert has some problems and Diggle wants in on the expedition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter, early, me? I just needed to post it today! Writing wise, I'm beginning to see the end, and I don't know how I feel about that! This chapter has a bit of plot moving, but I couldn't help and add some fluff in there. Please enjoy! Your comments and kudos inspire me. :)

**16: Yakety Yak**

_ Just finish cleanin' up your room _

_ Let's see that dust fly with that broom _

_ Get all that garbage out of sight _

_ Or you don't go out Friday night _

_ Yakety yak (don't talk back) _

“Alright boys, you listen to me, and you listen straight,” Coach Diggle said from the center of the locker room, and Oliver turned his head from where he had been thinking to himself at his locker. Whenever Coach began talking with that much heat in his tone, it meant gather around for some sort of pep talk. “I know there’s been a lot going on in the school lately with rivalries and crap, but we put that aside tonight.” 

A few of Oliver’s teammates gave a shout to that, and Oliver rolled his eyes. Turning, he made his way over to where the team was gathered and leaned himself against a locker on the outskirts of the huddle. He wasn’t the ‘team bonding inspirational speech’ type person. Unless it was from Felicity, of course. 

“This is huge, and you boys know it. So you better get your asses on that field and work yourselves numb. Do I make myself clear?!” He shouted, and the whole team gave confirming shouts back, Oliver keeping quiet. He didn’t know what base he was playing today, and he knew Diggle would probably stop him anyways, so what was the point of fake cheering. “GO!” He gave another shout, and the team started streaming through the doors onto the field. 

Oliver laced up his final shoe and then pushed off the locker, making his way towards the door. As he had assumed, Coach stuck a hand out to stop him right in front of the door. Oliver turned and looked at him. “What is it, Sir?” 

Coach smiled. “It’s Diggle, Dig for short. Don’t Sir me again,” He said, and Oliver nodded, surprised. “You talk to that Cooper kid? ‘Cause I’m itching for an old fashioned break in.” 

Oliver tilted his head, sucking in a quiet breath. What the hell was an old fashioned break in, and why was Coach talking about partaking in one as if he’d done it multiple times before.  _ Just what had Diggle done before he was a Coach? _

“So don’t you go leaving after the game. Stay an’ we’ll chat. Your whole crew,” Diggle ordered, and Oliver felt he had no choice but to nod. What could he say? The dude was scary. “Now go show your girl who the man is. Second Base.”

Oliver saluted, rushing through the doors of the locker room and onto the field, pulling his helmet on. He quickly swallowed all the thoughts of Merlyn. Felicity and his dad were here tonight. He had to impress, even if it was for different reasons. 

He was Oliver Queen, after all. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

Felicity squished past a few freshmen on the bleachers, spilling a few pieces of popcorn. Apologising to them, even though they looked terrified of her, she shoved herself in between Sara and Tommy. Grabbing the blanket on Tommy’s lap, she pulled it across her’s and Sara’s as well. “Has it started yet?” 

Tommy and Sara both shook their heads, and Laurel reached across Tommy to grab a handful of Felicity’s popcorn. “Baseball games take forever,” She said around a mouth of popcorn, and Felicity smiled at the sight. “It’s boring to watch. Probably boring to play, too.” 

Felicity laughed and Sara gave a shout in agreement. Tommy put his hands up. “How would you know? This is like your third game, and you’ve never played,” He argued, and Laurel shoved another handful in her mouth, Felicity doing the same. 

“And who’s fault is it that I can’t play?” Laurel taunted, and Tommy’s cheeks reddened, his face showing defeat. Felicity was loving how Sara’s feminism was rubbing off on her. “Oh, look, they’re coming out now!” She said, just as the players of their team began running onto the field. The crowd gave a shout, and the team went to shake hands with the visitors. 

Felicity turned to Sara. “Where’s Leonard?” She asked, wondering why and how Sara had lost her shadow. Leonard was like that. He was loomy, and very attached to Sara. Not that she minded. She was Sara Snart, for heaven's sake. 

Sara shrugged. “Don’t know. Said he had some business with the boys. Don’t care though. Rather be here with my new friends then there with that gang of testosterone,” Sara explained, and Felicity nodded. She didn’t even know the boys were still trying to keep the gang alive, even after Ray’s demise. She wondered if Cooper or Roy would be there. Hopefully Leonard would stop any fights, but it was likely he’d be coming back to Sara a little worse for wear. 

“So glad we’re out of that. Hated those people,” Felicity said, and met Sara’s eyes, automatically realising what she had said. “Not you, of course. I’m so glad I was pulled into that because it brought me to you. I just don’t like the way they work.” 

Sara grinned and patted Felicity’s shoulder, averting her eyes towards the field. Felicity shoved some popcorn down her throat and hoped that maybe it would shut her up for once in her life. The team was ready, but as Felicity looked closer, the Coach and Oliver had just made their ways onto the field.  _ What had those two been up to? _

“So, you connected the dots after talking to Cooper?” Sara asked, and Felicity turned to ask Tommy, her eyes widening. She cleared her throat, and Tommy and Laurel broke out of their make-out session, both of them looking sheepish. 

Tommy coughed and looked at Felicity and Sara. “Yeah, but I’ll explain it all after the game,” Tommy said, and Felicity raised a brow. Tommy had never been secretive before. “Oliver said his coach might have info? Used to work for my dad’s agricultural bizz. Explain then.” 

Felicity lowered her brows and looked to Sara, who gave a detached lift of her shoulders. A chime sounded, and Felicity looked about the field until Sara directed her eyes at the scoreboard, alerting her that the chime was for the beginning of the game. 

Forgetting Tommy’s case, Felicity focused her mind and vision on her beautiful boyfriend. He was standing on second base and his eyes were focused on the pitcher. He looked sexy as hell, and Felicity didn’t care who saw her admiring him.

\-->\--><\--<\--

Oliver sighed and rubbed his hands over his face once more. There was dirt lining up his uniform, all the way from his ankles to his chest, along his side. His dad was saying something about a play he’d made wrong, but he was just waiting for his dad to be done so he could go hug Felicity. 

They had won, and Oliver was no doubt proud that he helped score one of the runs and got three outs on the other team, but the win felt short-lived. Right after he finished his dad  _ had _ to come barreling forward, his mom and Thea in tow, and begin scolding him. No, ‘good job son’s’, just ‘get better next time’s.’ 

Thea had her arm wrapped around his waist, and he was resting one of his palms on her opposite shoulder. She had immediately hugged him and continued to hold on to him. He hadn’t deserved to be blessed with a sister who knew him so well. 

“Are you listening to me, Oliver?!” His dad finally exclaimed, and Oliver batted his eyes, taking his gaze off of where Felicity was standing and looking at his dad. Robert seemed agitated, and Moira was standing behind him, her expression uninterested. Oliver couldn’t blame her. Even after their talk, he knew she couldn’t do anything to stop the scolding. 

“Yessir,” Oliver attempted, cringing his eyes at how undevoted his voice sounded. Robert turned to look at where Oliver had been peering, and Oliver quickly shifted his gaze down to Thea. Her eyes were wide and knowing. He felt that he would have to introduce the two, or Thea may never leave. 

“It’s that grease. Thought I told you to stop hanging around their kind!” His dad reminded in a semi-loud tone. Oliver straightened. 

“I have,” Oliver argued, proud of how much more confident he sounded this time. There was no way in hell his dad would take his love away. He needed her. She kept him sane. And he knew, deep in his heart, she needed him too. Besides, they had a billionaire to expose.

“Why’d I see her giving you heart eyes the whole game then?” Robert pressed, and Oliver kept his face blank. As much as his stomach melted at learning she had watched him the whole time, it was still bad his dad was suspicious. 

“I don’t know, sir. Now, Coach Diggle is waving for me. May I be excused? We can talk when I get home from the post game lecture,” Oliver suggested, relieved at the fact that Diggle was, in fact, waving him over. Bless that man’s timing. Robert nodded, and Oliver gave Thea’s shoulder a tight squeeze before jogging over to Diggle. 

“Care to join me and your crew inside?” Diggle suggested, and Oliver mouthed a thank you before following Coach through the locker room doors, glancing back just once to look at his easily offendable mortified father turn and head towards the car. 

Oliver quickly unlocked his locker, Diggle going into his office to grab some things. Oliver grabbed his clothes from his locker, slamming the door shut, and throwing the clean clothes on. He didn’t want to be dirty, especially since he knew Felicity would be present. Who knew what kind of mood she could be in after his win. 

When Coach emerged from his office, Oliver had his bag packed and was swinging it over his shoulder. Diggle locked his office before sending Oliver out of the locker room, locking the main door behind them. “Your girl said we should meet them all in your  _ usual room _ , whatever that means.”

Oliver nodded and went left down towards the outer left wing of the school. “When I’m at practise or someone else is at some school event and the rest of us are waiting for them, we hang out in the music hall. No one ever goes there,” Oliver explained, and Coach gave a grunt that Oliver thought could’ve been a laugh. 

Making a sharp left down from the center of the left wing into the music hall, Oliver heard the distinct voices of his friends, who weren’t even trying to keep themselves discreet. Diggle turned his head and raised a brow. Oliver sighed and looked the other direction. By now, Coach probably thought his group was the worst choice of investigating buddies ever. 

Oliver pushed through the doors of the band room, Diggle next to him, to see his friend’s goofing off. Felicity and Sara were huddled around the counter along the wall directly across from the door drinking what looked to be hot cocoa. Oliver approached the two and Felicity looked towards him, jumping onto her feet. 

Before he could process, Felicity’s arms were around his neck, and she was jumping on him. His arms came up instinctively and he grabbed her waist, holding her above the ground, against his chest. “You look hot in baseball pants,” She muttered into his ear, and Oliver’s lips twisted upward. Of course that was Felicity’s way of congratulating him. 

He set her down, placing a kiss on her forehead. “How about my playing, you watch any of that?” He teased, and Felicity shrugged, dropping her arms from his neck to his hand, taking it and leading him over to where Sara was still seated. 

“Hot cocoa?” Sara offered, gesturing to two empty mugs and the water they had steaming. Diggle didn’t say anything, but he did grab a mug, and Oliver almost laughed at how his big scary dark-skinned Coach was making himself a mug of cocoa. “Tommy! Laurel! Company!” Sara shouted, and Oliver sat in the chair that Felicity had been seated in, pulling her onto his lap. 

Tommy and Laurel emerged from the bathroom door at the same time, both of them looking a bit disheveled, and Oliver couldn’t help rolling his eyes. Felicity shifted onto his left leg so the two could look at each other more comfortably, and he rested his arm around her shoulder. Tommy and Laurel sat across from them in separate chairs, and Diggle sat a few seconds later, mug of cocoa in hand. 

“Alright students, fill me in,” He ordered, and the gang looked around at each other, all their eyes finally settling on Tommy. Oliver watched as Tommy inhaled deeply, before launching into their crazy story, right from the beginning.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

\-->\--><\--<\--

“He’s intelligent, and a straight up maniacal genius when it comes to breaking and entering, I’ll give him that,” Felicity quipped, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she turned her head to look at Oliver, the engine rumbling beneath the two. They had just dropped Tommy off at his manour, and were now headed towards Felicity’s own home. 

Mr. Diggle was now fully informed, although Felicity was still to decide if she felt that to be a good occurence or not. She trusted Oliver, no doubt, but what the Coach had revealed after Tommy told his story kind of freaked Felicity out. 

He had said that he’d worked for extremely low wages on a farm/factory environment with his fellow ‘deeper skinned kin,’ as he had called them. Felicity could relate to that, at least, considering she was a minority working for low wages as well. He’d said that he’d left after being treated poorly with way too many hours. 

He had also explained how he’d gotten hired at the school, which Felicity found to be astonishing. The man was truly talented, and Felicity hadn’t ever seen, from her experiences, a Coach that dedicated to his work. The thing that made her uneasy, though, was how much Mr. Diggle said that he wanted to break into the Merlyn factory. 

“You don’t think it’s a good plan?” Oliver asked, and Felicity paused her passive agressive argument due to the hurt in his voice. Now that Oliver was her boyfriend, she kept forgetting she had to consider how much more her word meant to him. 

“No, I’m not saying  _ that _ ,” Felicity said, emphasising the ‘that’ in an attempt to plant her point, “I just don’t like the idea of the three of you breaking into a factory and trying to extract information that might not even be there. What if there’s nothing new, only information we only know, and you get caught? What’ll be the point then?”

She stopped her babble, falling back into the seat of the car and gathering her hair over her eyes. Sometimes she wished she could actually filter her words. “Can you propose a better option?” Oliver asked, his tone sharp, and Felicity pulled her hair out of her eyes, shocked at how angry he turned. “Look, we need to figure this out, and it’s not like you or Laurel or Sara could do any better, let alone as much as us.”

Felicity gasped and looked at Oliver, but he kept his eyes on the road. “Oh, so now you’re just like the rest of the patriarchy, huh?” Felicity said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Since when would you stop me if I wanted to go in too? I thought you were different, Oliver.”

Oliver sighed, and Felicity looked out the windshield, noticing the area around them. They were just about halfway to her building. Great, now she had to sit in the car and listen to him jab at her for another half a drive. 

“Felicity, come on, you know it’s true. Besides, I know Coach Dig better than any of you girls anyways,” Oliver pushed, reaching one of his hands over the dash towards where she was sitting. She uncrossed her arms to swat it away. She wouldn’t allow his comforting arms to force her into dropping the argument. 

“Oliver, do you even hear yourself? I guess we never discussed this, but I’m not letting you stop me from doing anything because I’m female. If that’s how you live your life, I’m not sure I want to be with you,” Felicity said, keeping her eyes on her hands in her lap. “I don’t care that we’re not as strong as you and that our voting rights were just granted 35 or so years ago or that I won’t ever make as much as the men at the diner. I think we could be just as equal as the men in everything if we got the opportunity.”

They were almost at her building by now, and Oliver didn’t reply. Felicity could already tell that she had shut him down, but she wasn’t ashamed of what she said. How could Oliver not allow her to participate and treat her below him while still allowing someone of a different race to participate.  _ Why couldn’t the people of these days open their eyes to all minorities, and not just a single one? _

When Oliver stopped in front of her house, Felicity picked up her bag off the floor of the car and leaned towards the door, deciding she wouldn’t apologise. Apparently, she wasn’t going to have a choice, though, since Oliver grabbed her left arm and pulled her towards him with his other arm, until she was looking into his eyes. 

“I’m sorry, you’re right,” He practically whispered, resting his forehead against Felicity’s. “I’m not used to any of this respect stuff. I know how that sounds, but it’s true. I grew up under a racist and sexist and every other ‘ist’ one could think of father. It was how I was taught to be. I try so hard to keep my mind opened and my heart changed. But I don’t want to lose you, and I will go to whatever women’s activist event you want me to just to prove it.”

Felicity smiled, raising her arms up and taking his cheeks in her hands, lifting her forehead off his to place a warm kiss against his lips. When she pulled back they were both smiling. “You, Oliver Queen, are the best high class boyfriend a girl of this day and age could ever wish for.” 

He grinned back, and then suddenly froze, his fingers that had been playing with her hair stopping. She tilted her head to the side, slightly confused at what he was thinking. He moved one hand to her chin, tilting her face so she was looking right into his eyes. 

“I’d hope so, considering I’m in love with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, if any of you watch Riverdale, head on over to my newest released fic for some classic Riverdale angst.   
> Chat with me on tumblr! @AKBruce


	17. Let's Elope Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> love confessions and infultration plans are made and executed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late late late. I have no excuses. So, I leave with some Olicity goodness and hope that makes up for it. Please enjoy, I appreciate all of your support.   
> Disclaimer: Since I didn't work in a factory in the 1950's and records are all scattered, my account may not be extremely historically accurate. This is what I imagine it as based off of what I've read and researched. :)

**17: Let’s Elope Baby**

_ I met my baby at the bottom of the hill _

_ I said, take me with I love you still _

_ We got all the things we need tonight _

_ We'll scoot uptown and do the bride _

_ Let's elope baby, pa's asleep and ma is too _

_ Let's elope baby ... _

_ The preacher is a-waitin' and my heart is true _

_ “I’d hope so, considering I’m in love with you.” _

Felicity was frozen, her blood speeding through her veins as the time turner in her mind spun, repeating the words Oliver had just said in her head. There was no way, Felicity must have heard wrong. He couldn’t, she never thought that he’d love her, let alone feel as strongly as she did for him. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” Oliver was flustered, and Felicity realised she had taken to long to reply, was taking too long to process. He thought she didn’t want to say it back, didn’t feel it back. She couldn’t have that. 

“Oliver Queen. I love  _ you _ .” 

Oliver’s eyes widened, his mouth still agape from the apology she’d cut him off from. His face reddened and his eyes glazed. Had he really thought she wasn’t going to say it back? Had he really thought she didn’t love him? 

For a second she thought he was going to say something, but he just moved his hands from her neck to her back, pulling her into him, his lips crashing down on hers. She countered the kiss hungrily. Though it hadn’t even been a full week, she had missed the sweet taste of his lips and the salt of his tongue.

His hands were skimming up and down her back, the way they always did when he was feeling greedy, and Felicity simply shifted her hands from his cheeks to his hair, her fingers beginning to play with his strands. His mouth moved from her lips down to her neck, and Felicity sighed, exposing her neck for better access. 

She arched her back just as he pulled away, both of them breathing heavily. He looked like he was going to stop, just as they always did, but Felicity didn’t want to. Instead, she grabbed his hands from her back and guided them to the top button on her shirt, unhooking it with his large fingers. 

He met her eyes, and she nodded, continuing to guide his fingers. “Please,” She whispered, lifting her head so she could kiss his cheek and then trailing her lips down to his jaw, looking up into his eyes once more. “I love you.”

His eyes hardened and he pulled her shirt off her shoulders, her words being all he needed. His hands made their way up the expanse of her bare chest and she let them, watching his face. He tilted his hand down and went in for another kiss, his mouth already open. 

Felicity let him take control, enjoying the feeling of his hands against her bare stomach, her own hands in his hair. Of course though, nothing lasts forever, and just as Felicity was reaching for Oliver’s shirt to unbutton it, a sharp knock came against Felicity’s window of the car, making them both stop and turn towards the door. 

“Felicity, sweetie, are you in there?” It was her mom’s voice, and Felicity rested her forehead against Oliver’s as he pulled her shirt around her arms and rebuttoned it once more. 

Letting out a snort, Felicity planted one last chast kiss against his lips. “Thank your parents for spending dough on tinted windows,” She murmured, and Oliver laughed, finally releasing her from his hold, though Felicity didn’t want to ever leave his arms. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah? I can come by and get you before we go on our mass break in. Sound dandy?” Felicity nodded, fixing her hair and opening the car door, her mom standing right there with her hands on her hips. Oliver gave a head tilt to Donna just as Felicity closed the door, his face disappearing. A second later he was speeding off into the night. 

“Have fun at the game, honey?” Donna asked, Felicity taking one last look at Oliver’s car disappear into the night before turning and following her mom towards their front door. 

“Actually, yes. It was much more exciting than I thought it would be,” Felicity answered honestly, smiling at her mom. Donna opened the door, giving Felicity a knowing look. Felicity winked and made her way inside their small flat, her body still flushed from Oliver’s warm hands.

\-->\--><\--<\--

“Oh my pop, Ollie, you did not!” Thea exclaimed, her hands trembling from excitement on his shoulders. He nodded, keeping his lips pursed, and she squealed once more, her arms shaking his shoulders. He should’ve listened to his instinct and kept quiet about the night before, but Thea was being so persistent. She knew him too well, a curse and a gift.

When Oliver had gotten home, his house had been dead, everyone in the family asleep, even the houseworkers. Oliver had crept into his room and laid on his bed, sleeping very little. How could he go to bed, after having the best night of his life. 

He had said it on impulse, just wanted to get it out to reassure her how much she meant to him, and it had just slipped out. He’d never thought she felt it too, would say it back. He’d been so shocked he hadn’t even been able to say anything, could only respond with the  _ need _ that took control of his body and emotions whenever Felicity was around. 

Thea released his shoulders and did a skip around his room. She wasn't much younger than him, in the last year of junior high, though she was dating a high schooler. And yet, she was still much too naive, having the fantasy of the perfect first  _ ‘I love you’s’ _ , and Oliver’s account of what happened with Felicity just boosted the hopes. 

“Wait!” She said suddenly, stopping in front of him, worry on her face. Oliver tilted his head, raising a brow. “Did she say it back?” Thea questi0n, genuinely worried, and Oliver let out a short laugh, standing up off his bed, needing to get ready for the day. 

He headed towards the door, stopping in front of Thea. “Yes, she did say it back. You happy now?” Thea beamed and bobbed her head enthusiastically, following him out of his room and down towards the kitchen. “Now, that’s enough about that. Imagine what dad would say,” Oliver reminded, and Thea mimed zipping her lips and throwing away the key. Oliver laughed and rubbed her head, purposefully messing up her hair. She hated when he did that. 

When they reached the kitchen he sat in his usual spot at the table, food already steaming and waiting for him. Though his parents would get angry if he said anything, he nodded to the maid, Raisa, who offered him a warm smile in return. Because of her colour, she couldn’t get a job elsewhere, as many coloured women struggled with.  After Felicity’s comment last night, Oliver felt like that needed to change, even if he’d been adding to the oppression. 

“I’ll be out for the day,” Oliver said to his mom, who was seated across the table next to Thea’s spot, where she was always seated. She looked up from her plate to him. “Coach wants me to go in and work on a few specific skills after the game last night. All good things.” 

Moira nodded and gave him a warm smile. He finished his meal quickly, kissing both his sister and mother goodbye before getting in his car and speeding towards Felicity’s place, ready to get this plan up and running. Tommy and Laurel were meeting them at the school, and apparently Sara and Dig were finding their own ways there, however that was. 

After grabbing Felicity the two sped to the school, heading towards the music wing hand in hand. Felicity was perky, and Oliver felt as if they shared some inside secret now. He felt that their relationship was different, even if it looked the same. 

“Coach is bringing blueprints of Father’s factory. If what I remember is correct, there hasn’t been any major updates to the interior build since he worked there,” Tommy was informing Laurel and Sara just as Oliver and Felicity made their way into the room. 

The three were seated in a circle, and Sara was laid down on her back, sprawled across three chairs. Felicity released Oliver’s hand and walked over to her friend, shoving her legs onto the ground, forcing her to sit up. “What kept you up last night?” Felicity teased, and Sara elbowed her. 

Oliver sat down next to Felicity and Tommy cleared his throat, forcing everyone’s attention back on him. He met Oliver’s eyes. “Where’s Coach?” Tommy asked, and Oliver shrugged. He was never late to practises or games, so Oliver wasn’t sure what was holding him up at the moment. 

“Have you taken workers into consideration?” Sara supplied, not lifting her head from Felicity’s shoulder, her eyes closed. Laurel placed her hand on Tommy’s back. The action seemed of comfort, and Oliver sensed that this situation had become overly stressful for Tommy. 

“For the most part, we have,” Laurel jumped in, and Tommy leaned back in his chair. “We were thinking a few of us could clear them out; cause some sort of scapegoat across the factory, depending on the plans,” Laurel explained, and Sara raised her head, her eyes flipping open. 

“I call dibs,” Sara scrambled, her voice getting excited. Oliver didn’t know Sara too well due to the two growing up in completely different groups. But, from what Felicity had shared, Oliver knew that Sara was a woman ahead of her time, always ready to kick men a pedestal down. Oliver admired her confidence, and he could see why she was Felicity’s best friend.

“We were going to offer it to you anyways, Sara,” Laurel laughed, and Sara’s cheeks lit up. Oliver bit back a smile and Oliver wrapped his arm around Felicity’s shoulder, pulling her closer.  _ Geez, slow down hormone monster.  _ Since the last night, Oliver couldn’t stop himself from touching Felicity. 

Just then a knock came on the door, and Oliver turned with the others to spot Coach at the door. He nodded and grabbed a chair before sitting down and joining the circle. 

“Just in time, Coach. Glad you could make it,” Oliver said, and the Coach slapped a hand on his shoulder in acknowledgement. “Alright, so we have our scapegoat. Now, what will we be doing while Sara distracts?” Oliver asked, steering right into the main business. He looked to Coach and Tommy, who shared a look. 

“Ollie, you’re going to have to sit this one out,” Tommy said, and Oliver’s brows shot up. Tommy’s face was apologetic, but Oliver still felt a bit of hurt. Was he that useless? 

“Why?” He asked before he could bite his tongue. Felicity placed her hand on the one he had on her shoulder, rubbing his fingers. He relaxed his muscles and leaned back, but didn’t take back his question. He was curious. 

“A Queen at the factory? You don’t need that kind of work, it would be suspicious. That’s why…” Tommy drifted off, and Oliver swallowed. He could feel what was coming next, just by Tommy’s look. “We were actually going to ask you, Felicity.” 

Felicity’s hand on Oliver’s dropped in shock. Oliver almost laughed at the irony. They had just had this fight, and of course now it was coming true. He tensed once more. Though he told her that he was okay with her doing all the men do, he still didn’t want Felicity anywhere near that mission. Hell knew what could happen to her, especially when he wasn’t there with her. 

“Get over it, son. It makes the most sense, even if she is a young lady,” Coach intervened, and Oliver looked up at the big man, meeting his eyes. “I worked there, and there was young girls who were doing more lady-based tasks. She’d fit in, and she’s in the perfect situation of needed a new job.” 

Oliver glared at the ground and bit his tongue viciously. Taking it as a win, he heard Felicity speak up beside him. “So, what you got for me then?” She asked, her voice confident. Oliver didn’t look up from the piece of carpet he was attempting to burn up with his glare, but he could feel the excitement in her tone. 

Of course she was excited, though. Why would she not be? This is what Felicity had always been about. He couldn’t take it away from her, could he? Sighing, he lifted his head and grudgingly listened to the rest of the plan, keeping Felicity’s body close. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

Felicity’s body was humming with adrenaline. Her heart was clanging around her chest, ready to burst across the factory at any second. The butterflies were present as well, along with the electric current of excitement. 

She hadn’t expected the request at all, it had actually surprised her. Sara made sense, she had experience with the savage laws of being in Ray’s gang. Felicity, on the other hand, split at any sign of danger, hiding behind the strongest person available. She wasn’t proud of the instincts, and definitely wished they were different, but she’d never had a father to teach her how to defend herself, mentally and emotionally. 

She’d appreciated Oliver biting his anger, and his fine line of allowing her to go alone. She admitted, when he couldn’t proceed any further into the factory she was sure he was going to push to come with. So, when he just kissed her intensely and then scrambled away to his post just after yelling at Diggle and Tommy to keep her safe, she was shocked. 

“Felicity, focusing now,” Diggle said, shaking her out of her head. Grimacing she pictured a lock turning on the door to her Oliver thoughts until she unlocked it. She needed to be focused on the task at hand, and Oliver didn’t help with the type of focus she needed. 

“Yeah, I’m here, sorry,” She muttered back, and Diggle nodded. Tommy led them around a corner, the three coming face to face with another hallway of identical doors. 

“The office is at the end of the hallway. Felicity, at lunch, you’ll slip away and extract the files as planned. Remember, you’ll know which office it is by the gold rim on the window instead of steel grey,” Tommy reminded, and Felicity nodded her head curtly. She was up top here. If she didn’t do her job, Sara would have a lot of problems to deal with on the distraction end. 

“Alright, Felicity, we’re going to the machinery now. Tommy, you’re good to go,” Diggle informed, taking Felicity’s arm and leading her down another hall, leaving Tommy by himself. Felicity wasn’t worried about him, Tommy was so dedicated to uncovering his dad’s plans that he’d go to most extents. 

They reached a set of giant metal doors, and Diggle pressed a big metal button, one of the doors retracting, allowing them just enough room to single file enter. Dig moved in ahead of her, and she followed, stopping slightly behind him once they were inside. 

It was loud, the sound of machines whirling hitting Felicity’s ears first. Then came the scent. It smelled of smoky machinery and cardboard, and was extremely unpleasant. 

“See the women over there who are taping the cardboard boxes? There’s one who I used to work with, and she’ll sort you through everything you need to do. She’s in on it, don’t fear. See you at lunch.” 

Felicity watched as Diggle pivoted and headed towards the left side, where the bigger machines were located. No wonder he was so strong. Those machines didn’t look like easy operating. Sighing, Felicity turned and headed towards the area where the other females were condensed, attempting to slow her speeding heart rate. 


	18. Tutti Frutti

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity and Oliver encounter some bumps in their bulletproof plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haven't been inspired to write lately, so this is a short update. Sorry guys, I only want to produce the best content, instead of just producing content. Hope people are still interested and enjoying. Next update will explain quite a lot of plot.

**Chapter 18: Tutti Frutti**

_ Got a girl named Daisy, she almost drives me crazy _

_ She knows how to love me, yes indeed _

_ Boy I don't know what you're doin' to me _

_ Tutti frutti, oh Rudy _

_ A whop bop-a-lu a whop bam boo _

“You’re Felicity, aren’t you?” An older woman comments right when Felicity reaches the giant table. Felicity turns and looks at the woman, nodding. She has short brown hair and a darker complexion, her beauty clear even with her obvious eye bags from work. “I’m Lyla. I’m John’s inside man. Or, woman, I guess.” 

Felicity did her best to hide her surprise, sitting herself next to the kind woman. She’d never heard Coach’s first name before. Just how did this factory worker get on first name basis with the man who prefers to go by his last name?

“You must be nervous,” Lyla assumed, and Felicity cringed, observing the tape and boxes scattered about the table. Luckily, the other workers were paying no attention to her, so Felicity couldn’t have looked too out of place. 

“Golly, I hope it’s not  _ too  _ obvious,” Felicity remarked, attempting to school her features. “Alright, what’s buzzin’ with this box stuff?” She asked, focusing herself on the work. Lyla looked away from her face, picking up a box from the pile stacked next to her. 

“We tape the food items that the guys over at the machines pack into these ‘ere boxes,” Lyla explained, grabbing an odd looking tape roller and speedily securing a box. It was a skill, and, considering Felicity’s coordination, she had a feeling it was a skill she didn’t possess. 

“That’s all? Pack down and tape?” Felicity asked. Lyla nodded, sliding the box across the table. Another worker grabbed it and placed it on some moving belt. She watched as one after another, these woman slid boxes across the table to the few workers loading the boxes on the belt. 

“All day every day. Some days they may ask us to do special, more feminine tasks, but that’s rarer,” Lyla confirmed. Felicity picked a box from the pile, grabbing an open roller and pressing the plastic inside of it down, just as Lyla had. Pulling the flaps together she sloppily dragged the roller across. 

“Well, seems I can’t make a straight line with a tape roller,” Felicity joked, running over the messy line with another, slightly less messy line. Happier, she made sure it was tight before sliding it the best she could. It stopped further away, and she mouthed ‘sorry’ to the worker layering the boxes on the belt. 

“Takes practice. You’ll have it by the end of your excursion,” Lyla promised, and Felicity grimaced at the ‘excursion.’ She’d almost forgotten about the task she was here for through her taping lessons. “Alright, try some more.”

Felicity bobbed her head and grabbed another box, repeating the steps, this time sliding the roller faster. It worked better, and forty or so boxes in she was on top of the taping. It was almost a rhythm, and Felicity could tell that that was how most of the workers got through their days. 

It made Felicity mad, of course. Good men and women working machines and spending their days taping food boxes for lower than minimum wage. It made her even angrier knowing there was nothing she could do to change it for these people. She was just a low women on the social scale. Even Dig couldn’t do anything, as a man, just because of the place his race originated from. 

But, seeing these people chat and tap and hearing Dig heartily laugh at something over by the machinery made her feel better. It felt hopeful, like the world wouldn’t keeping shitting in the minorities. A hope of change, a hope of acceptance. It made Felicity want to storm up to the Merlyn Estate and slap Tommy’s father silly. 

She had gotten so into the rhythm that when the lunch bell chimed she almost didn’t remember what she needed to get done. On the last chime, Lyla tapped Felicity’s shoulder, nodding towards the exit. Felicity gave her a look of thanks and a hug, just for good measure, before turning towards the door with her courage strung on her sleeve. 

Pushing through the door she casually retraced her steps from earlier, willing her body to not turn and run back to Diggle. Her feet quietly scratched the concrete floors, her blood pounding against her earbuds in thundering beats. 

She turned down the final turn, coming face to face with the office hallway Tommy had pointed to. Swallowing, she straightened her posture, adjusted her ponytail and began making long, professional strides down the dead hall. 

The offices were mostly quiet, save for the sound of writing and some quiet arguments. It wasn’t until two thirds down the hall when Felicity finally spotted the door she was looking for. Inspecting the gold trimmed window, she peeked inside just for good measures, finding the office empty, much to her relief. 

Cringing at the squeak of the hinges, Felicity pushed herself through the office door, observing the small box area. A large desk on the left, cabinet file drawers lining the right wall and other knick knacks scattering the room. There was a single chair, and Felicity almost squealed when she saw it was one of the chair that spins. 

Sitting herself down she pushed her foot off the ground for momentum and spun a few times. These chairs were rare and new, and she’d always wanted to try one. She stopped abruptly, facing the file cabinets, when a yell from another office sounded. Cursing herself, Felicity forced herself to focus on the task at hand and began scanning the small scribble print labeling the boxes. 

Tommy had given her the direct orders to grab anything that had to do with her specific diner, the glades, or any of the students from the high school. Anything that related to their current investigation, really. The first cabinet that caught her eye was one that was labeled with other big businesses. 

Busting the drawer open with a little help from a pencil from the desk and a poorly made lock, Felicity scanned the files, grabbing one that was labeled  _ “Queen Consolidated”  _ before closing the file and scanning the rest of the drawers, repeating the lockpicking and file scanning. 

By the time the bell telling the employees that lunch was completed rang, Felicity had a decent sized stack of files, but nowhere to put it. Breathing in, she re-read the mental plan, step by step. She needed to leave the Office soon, or she’d get caught. First order of action. Busting through the door, she sprinted in the opposite direction she came, praying Oliver and Sara were doing their jobs. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

The bell chimed, loud and irritating. But, to Oliver, it was a sound of immense joy, since it meant he could finally go get Felicity. Sara had left for her diversion right at the beginning of the lunch break, and Oliver had been bored as a Cooped Out Drive-In since her departure. 

Practically leaping off the step he was sitting on in his cover section of the office area, Oliver leaped down the steps, throwing the door of the storage room open and storming through. He skidded through the halls, fast enough to make good time but carefully enough to not run into anyone that would recognise him. 

Making another turn that led into a final set of stairs, Oliver pulled off the extra shirt he had been wearing, preparing it so Felicity could throw the files in. Making the final turn until the rendezvous point, Oliver stopped at the point itself, surprised at the few amount of workers. This would be easier than he anticipated. 

Quietly he crept to the first worker, easily knocking him out with a fist to the back of the head. He repeated, only having trouble with the last worker, who had noticed Oliver and was ready for him. Luckily, he wasn’t the best at fist fighting, and Oliver took him down quickly. 

Still not seeing Felicity round the corner, Oliver busied himself, slowly and painfully dragging the unconscious bodies towards the way he approached, placing them inside of a storage room at the end of the hall. 

Felicity still hadn’t arrived, and Oliver’s nerves were beginning to eat at him. He looked at the walls, but saw no clock.  _ Great, he’d have to wait the old fashion way.  _ Sighing, he leaned his back against the wall, shimmying down until he was squatting. 

He trusted Felicity, but something seemed wrong. He could feel it in the air, he was sure of it. Gritting his teeth, his ears perked just as the sound of feet skidding against the ground came onto his radar. Standing up and fully alert, Oliver’s nerves jerked to a halt as Felicity came bounding around the corner, her face flushed. 

“Fel-” Oliver started, reaching for her, surprised when she grabbed his arm and pulled him next to her instead of embracing him. 

“Got caught, don’t know who or how important but they’re onto me,” Felicity informed quickly, her voice shaky and uneven. She’d been running for a while then, which meant they caught her quite early in her ifultration. Oliver didn’t say anything, pushing ahead of her. That was one thing he had on her, he did do a lot more running than she did, considering she sat and watched while he sprinted bases. 

He was pulling her by the time they reached the downstairs, almost at the planned exit. He could hear people yelling behind, but couldn’t make out any of the words, and Felicity was beginning to lag. Pretty soon he’d just be dragging her along, which wouldn’t help the situation. 

Just as they were nearing the last turn before the exit, Felicity’s body failed her. Oliver braced his hand in hers, holding her up inches from the ground. Grunting, he tried to pull her up, confused on how she was this tired. She hadn’t been running  _ that _ much. 

“My leg,” Felicity huffed, and Oliver hoisted her into his arms bridal style, barely feeling the weight of her body. Was this really how light a poorly fed woman was? Oliver breathed out, ignoring her leg comment and barrelling around the corner instead, pushing through the exit doors. 

Tommy waited in the car outside, and Oliver almost snorted when he opened the door to the backseat and laid Felicity down to find Tommy snoring. “Tommy!” Oliver yelled, and his best friend bursted awake, his eyes taking in laying down Felicity. Closing the door to the backseat, Oliver pulled Felicity’s feet onto his lap so he could fit into the seat.

“Is she okay??” Tommy asked, revving the engine up and pulling out of the lot, Oliver getting a glimpse of some random workers bursting through the exit door. Moving his attention to Felicity, Oliver finally took a good look at her legs, surprised to see a rip in the calf area of her left leg. 

“Baby, what happened?” Oliver questioned, lowering his voice in attempt of a comforting tone. Felicity groaned and Oliver reached his hand towards the rip, moving the pants out of the way to see a giant 360 gash on her shin. Oliver’s chin fell and he rolled the ripped pants up to inspect the leg. 

Felicity groaned again. “Like I said, don’t know who they were. Who in the hell walks around with a lassoed rope?” Felicity accused, though she made it out to sound like a question. His teeth snapped together and he did his best to hold back a growl. “Like, seriously, what the fuck? Workers start chasing me and the next thing I know some guy’s got a barbed wire like rope lasso thing around my leg and I’m on the ground and then I’m rushing to find you and-”

“Felicity, babe, words off, breathing on,” Oliver ordered, and Felicity slammed her lips together. Oliver looked at her leg once more and ripped off the bottom of his shirt, wrapping and knotting it tightly around the huge cut.  _ Why did Merlyn have barbed wire rope in his factory? Just what other weapons did he keep in that factory? _

“Um, Felicity,” Tommy cut in, Oliver practically forgetting he was driving the car. “Now that we know you’re okay, do you have the files?” 

Oliver growled, but watched as Felicity reached into her shirt and pulled out a large stack of files. Taking them from her hand he put them on the seat next to Tommy, turning back to Felicity and watching her pull out another stack from the waistband of her pants. Grinning, Oliver plopped the second pile atop the first. 

“That’s my girl,” Oliver praised, and Felicity smiled at him. Then, she laid her head down on the seat, and Oliver laid his head back as well, shutting his eyes, his body suddenly tired. 


	19. I've Got a Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group discovers a huge secret, and Oliver faces his family problems head on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A gut wrenching chapter for you, even though no one asked for it. It ended up much longer than I anticipated, so I cut off a piece of it and added it to the next chapter. This really flowed out of me, so hopefully it makes sense, since I didn't hardcore edit it as I do my other chapters. Enjoy! As always comments and kudos are my fuel. 
> 
> P.S.: This is based in the fifties. I used a few words that may anger some people. I would never use some hardcore words, especially racist and homophobic slang, so if the scene seems less dramatic, that's why. I just can't bring it upon myself to hurt my John and Sara like that.

**Chapter 19: I’ve Got a Woman**

_ Say I got a woman, way over town _

_ That's good to me, oh yeah _

_ Oh, she's my baby, don't you understand _

_ Yeah, I'm her lovin' man, now _

Oliver slammed the Queen file closed, his eyes wide and unbelieving. He’d never thought anyone could get this much information about his family. Most of the stuff about his mom and dad even  _ he  _ himself didn’t know. Even worse, the file included Queen Consolidated’s yearly interest, as if it was necessary to Merlyn for him to know just how much money the company profited. 

“Besides the fact that dad’s losing money  _ fast _ , there isn’t anything about Verdant or the glades in the Queen file, Oliver informed, and the whole table looked up from the files they were scanning. Diggle just shook his head and continued his scanning. Oliver looked up at the fancy chandelier hanging from his ceiling over the kitchen table Raisa had cleared. Laurel seemed to be the only one worrying about him. 

“That sucks Oliver, I’m sorry,” Laurel said, giving him a weak smile. Oliver smiled back before grabbing up another file, this one labeled,  _ ‘Verdant Chain Employee List.’  _ Sighing, Oliver slapped the file open, following the table of contents to the page holding the glade’s Verdant employee list. Scanning the alphabetized list of employees and their descriptions, Oliver stopped on  _ ‘Donna Smoak’ _ , which was bolded, unlike any of the other names. 

Oliver read the description over, swallowing his surprise and looking up at his girlfriend, whose eyes were laser focused on the information she had written from what people randomly shouted out as  _ “Maybe evidence” _ . Opening his mouth, Oliver steadied himself. “Baby, this is most definitely something to record.”

Felicity looked up at him with her brows knit, and Oliver steeled himself for a moment, admiring her cute face. Ever since they’d cleaned and patched up her wound she’d been more energetic than ever. Oliver blamed the blood loss, but he couldn’t complain. He loved when Felicity was bouncy, it usually meant she was genuinely happy.

Oliver looked back at the page, reading out the description. “Donna Smoak: The mother of another employee and one of Tommy’s friend’s. Lives just inside the lines of the destruction zone. Would be good to use as hostage if kids get nosy. Will be eliminated by destruction zone if plan goes precise.”

Oliver slowly raised his eyes. He’d caught the attention of every single one of his friends. Felicity’s eyes were wide. Diggle’s face screamed murder. Laurel had her hands over her mouth, Sara had her hand on Felicity’s. Tommy’s face was unreadable, his eyes glinting. Oliver swallowed and rubbed the side of the kitchen table with his hands, not knowing what to say. 

Oliver watched as Felicity blinked, scribbling down a summary of what he had read. He hated situations like these; when he didn’t know how to comfort Felicity. He couldn’t hold her, couldn’t control her. He was, by far, the worst ever at reading people, especially girls. 

Sara was the first to break the silence, her voice harsh. “We’ve seen this ‘ _ Destruction Zone’ _ enough times now to call it evidence,” She stated, and Oliver nodded in agreement. 

“I thought it was just Verdant, but if it includes my building, that means it goes all the way to the outskirts of the glades,” Felicity reasoned, crossing out something on the pad. Oliver watched her brain working itself out, the genius girl. “What if this  _ ‘Destruction Zone’ _ is the entire Glades?”

Tommy choked, and Laurel patted his back, until he began speaking, his eyes still glinting. “It would make sense. He did offer Cooper and Ray out of the Glades before it was too late,” Tommy pitched in, his voice rough. Oliver couldn’t imagine just how much he must’ve been struggling. 

“He isn’t the only one,” Diggle spoke up, his face rising from the file he had continued to scan. His eyes landed on Oliver. 

“Whaddya mean?” Oliver asked tentatively. Coach couldn’t be accusing him of helping Malcolm, could he? He knew Oliver would never do anything of the sort. 

“Robert will cover the extra expenses, as his company will get a fourth of the share, the south side, as promised. Enough money to supply the entire Destruction Zone, and more for him to get out of it,” Diggle recited. Oliver blinked once. He knew his dad was a terrible human being, but he never imagined he’d pay to destroy a place for a lousy company.

“I live on the North side,” Felicity pointed out, and Laurel gasped, taking Tommy’s hand. Sara slapped her file closed and stood, always ready to take action. 

“Felicity’s right. That confirms it,” Sara stated, turning to look at a pale faced Tommy. “Your dad’s planning on destroying the Glades.”

\-->\--><\--<\--

Felicity breathed in Oliver’s scent, treasuring it, using it to blanket her worries. He shifted under her but didn’t move her off him, the car making a turn. Laurel’s hushed voice resounded from the front seat, but Felicity didn’t have the energy to make out what Laurel was reassuring Tommy about. 

After Sara’s statement the entire crew had decided on confronting Merlyn in hopes of stopping him. Tommy had said that he’d probably be at Verdant and not the Merlyn mansion, so that was where the group had decided to head. That was how Felicity found herself in the backseat of Oliver’s car, shoved on his lap to make enough room for Sara and Diggle to climb in. 

She didn’t mind sitting in Oliver’s lap at a time like this, but it was odd to be snuggling up against him in front of their entire crew in Oliver’s cramped car. He had wrapped his arms around her though, so she’d taken it as an okay to feast on his scent. 

“Your mom’s going to be okay, Felicity,” Sara reassured from next to her curled position. Oliver shifted under her, and Felicity could feel his guilt at not having noticed. Felicity smiled tightly at Sara, nodding into Oliver’s chest, meeting her best friend’s eyes. She could see the silent promise of  _ ‘I’ll make sure she’s okay, no matter what.”  _

“Dad wouldn’t-” Tommy muttered, and the whole car turned their attention to the driver. It was then that Felicity noticed just how much Tommy was speeding, though she didn’t mind. It did make her a bit nervous about the narrow Glade driveways, though. 

“Tommy, son, you’ve got to throw all you know about your father away,” Diggle stated, and Felicity silently agreed with him. Oliver’s stomach rumbled and Felicity curled her face into Oliver’s chest once more, enjoying the buzz. “He’s gone off the tracks, and engaged the conductor controls. You don’t know him.”

It was a bit harsh, but Felicity hoped it reached Tommy the right way. No one wants to hear that their dad is a lunatic, but sometimes it’s necessary. If Felicity was in Tommy’s shoes, it would’ve helped her adjust. 

Tommy didn’t reply, and the car went back to silence, Felicity relieved at Oliver’s arms never moving from around her. She was glad he was able to push the information about his dad away for the moment. He was good at silencing emotions, after all. 

The car came to a harsh stop, Tommy’s door clicking open before the car was in full park, the rest of the group shoving out just as quick as him. Felicity was second, just behind Tommy, sprinting up to the front door of Verdant and running in, guns blazing, behind Tommy. Tommy gasped, just as Oliver grabbed Felicity’s arm and yanked her to the side. Something grazed against her right ear just as she fell atop Oliver on the ground. 

“Felicity? Are you alright?” Oliver questioned quietly, and Felicity nodded, though she was confused on why he had pulled her onto the ground. She looked up, but couldn’t see past the semi-blockade Tommy, Diggle and Sara had made in front of her and Oliver. 

Oliver hissed abruptly, and Felicity returned her gaze to him just as he raised his hand up to her ear. She didn’t move, bewildered by Oliver’s tenderness in a time like this. Oliver pulled his hand back, and his fingertips were bright red. Felicity gasped, running her own hand against her ear.  _ Something _ hadn’t grazed her ear, a  _ bullet  _ had. 

Oliver stood, shoving past Tommy, and Felicity shook her head, straining to hear what was going on. Her hearing in her right ear was definitely fucked up, most likely because a bullet flew so close to it. Laurel was next to her in a flash, her arms helping Felicity stand. She was whispering soothing words to Felicity, but the frightened girl was struggling to process the words, her eyes suddenly scoping out the situation.

The first thing Felicity saw was her mom, who had one arm handcuffed to the post right next to the door leading to the kitchen. She was roughed up a bit, and her hair was shorter, but she was awake and breathing. There were two men on either side of her, but that was unimportant. No, the important thing was the man standing right in the middle of the diner, gun still raised, directed at his own son’s heart. 

\-->\--><\--<\--

“You… you shot at my fucking  _ girlfriend! _ ” Dig had his arms tight, and Oliver took a few seconds trying to struggle free before resorting to glaring and screaming. His father hadn’t lowered the gun, though his face looked pulled. Oliver’s blood was boiling, and his brain was in twists. They’d figured out that his father was part of Merlyn’s crusade, but Oliver hadn’t thought he’d be on the field. And shooting at Felicity? 

“Oliver, my boy, I told you to stay away from the greases, and yet here you are,” Robert quipped, as if he was in woe, already mourning his  _ very much alive  _ son. “What an interesting group of revolutionaries we have here, when we take a step back,” Robert addressed the entire group, his eyes landing lastly on Sara, his nose flaring. 

Sara snarled, and Oliver watched Laurel take her hand out of the corner of his eye. “That’s my mom, you good for nothing punk of a parent!” And then Felicity was squeezed on Oliver’s left side, right next to Tommy. Oliver took her hand and looked at her ear. It was close to her head. Oliver breathed out. He would not think like that. 

“Ah, hello shuckster,” Robert punctuated. Felicity gasped lightly, and Oliver’s brain went catatonic. No one could use that language against Felicity, not even his own blood. Family didn’t always mean blood. “Look at us, our gang of misfits. Merlyn’s son, a coloured, a fag, a daddy’s girl, a broke shuckster, and a man destined for big things with the wrong friends. How enjoyable.”

Oliver paused, knicking down all of the insults, one by one. How’d he learn all that info about all of them? How’d he even know about Sara? Oliver had only learned through Felicity, and she’d said it taken forever for Sara to open up about it. His father was obviously in on Merlyn’s files then, meaning he’d seen the queen files, most likely. 

That brought up another thought Oliver hadn’t even processed until the moment. If his dad was here, and they’d been expecting Merlyn to be here, where was Merlyn? “Why are you here, dad?” Oliver asked, his brain thinking quickly. He didn’t normally do this stuff. These were much more Felicity and Tommy centered situations. 

“The rat stole the files, did she not? You’ve probably already seen that this project will be giving a share to Queen Consolidated,” Oliver willed himself to be calm, to ignore the insults his dad was throwing at his friends and Felicity. He was trying to hit Oliver in his weak spots. It wouldn’t work, he wouldn’t let it. 

“Still doesn’t explain why you’re at the diner,” Tommy piped in, drawing Robert’s attention towards him. Oliver felt Felicity squeeze his hand, and he looked her, her eyes already on his. Her ear was swelling, a good chunk missing. Drawing from her actions, though, Oliver was sure her adrenailane hadn’t worn off yet. When it did, they needed to be around some medical crap.

“What do you take that as? Expecting father dearest? He’s much too busy for a simple extraction,” Robert informed, and Oliver collected that data in his head, flagging it. Whatever he was doing, it was something important. Meaning he must be somewhere close in the glades or at the factory, since he wasn’t at home or at the diner, and those were his most important places. 

“You won’t be extracting anything,” Coach spoke up, Oliver almost forgetting he was still holding his arm. Robert didn’t even bother acknowledging the comment, his eyes turning bright. Oliver almost sighed. His dad’s insults weren’t even insulting. 

“Sorry, no coloureds allowed in this diner. You’ll have to be up and out of here,” Robert retorted. Oliver watched Coach tense, releasing his arm. Unsure what his intentions were, Oliver put his trust in Diggle, watching as he slowly took a few steps closer. Robert shifted his gun, but Coach didn’t even flinch, didn’t even acknowledge the gun itself, his vision direct. 

“You’re a shit keeper, you know that? Oliver ‘ere is one of my hardest players, and a smart kid. He’s loyal, and kind, and tries to do the right thing. And ‘ere you are, bein’ a shit example for a great kid. What kind of parent points a gun at their own kid?” Diggle scolded in a regular tone, taking a few smaller steps. 

Oliver watched as his father’s arms began to shake, the gun rattling. He didn’t shoot, though, just looked up at Coach warily. He was frightened, though he was armed. Oliver had never seen Coach so scary either. He almost smiled at Diggle’s kind words, feeling the honesty. He had no idea his Coach cared about him that much. 

“That’s the thing, though. A parent don’t point no gun at their own kid. That’d how I know you ain’t parented Oliver for a single day in your life. So let me ask you this? You want to shoot his Coach and take his girlfriend’s mom right after shooting her in the ear? Or you wanna back the fuck off and remove yourself from Merlyn’s side before it’s too late? Before he commits a mortal sin against regular folk, like the love of your son’s life and his buds?” 

The room was deathly silent, and Oliver was stunned, unmoving. He’d never heard Coach let anything that thoughtful out. He’d had a father this whole high school career, and hadn’t even realised it. Diggle had stepped within reach. He plucked the gun out of Robert’s hand easily, and Oliver just raised his brows. 

The men who’d been around Felicity’s mom pushed through the door and out the back most likely, the cowards. “They’ll warn Merlyn!” Oliver exclaimed, and Sara saluted, sprinting out the back door, dragging Laurel behind her. Sara could take care of those two men, easy. 

Oliver directed his attention back this his Coach and stunned father. Diggle just walked over to Oliver and placed the gun in his right palm, the one not holding Felicity’s hand. “Your blood kd, your choice.”

Oliver nodded at his Coach, his eyes watering against his own will. Diggle then walked towards Felicity’s mom, Felicity breaking her hold on Oliver’s hand to rush over. 

“I didn’t know,” Robert murmured. Oliver turned his gaze to his shaking father, stepping closer to him. He looked tattered. His facade had been knocked down with just a few words. He was the weak one, not Oliver and his friends. 

“You don’t know a lot of things,” Oliver replied, blinking a tear out of one of his eyes, a few following. “My life is going swell. I’ve got a woman, and she’s the love of my life. I’ve got a group of amazing friends and family, and they’re true friends, not friends by association of wealth. So, the last thing I need to allow is my shitty DNA doner blowing up Felicity’s house. Do yourself a favour and run away. Don’t bother coming back to the house. You’re not welcome, and it’s not yours anymore.”

Oliver dropped the gun, turning his back on his father and walking out the door of the diner, his friends gathered, Felicity and her mom a few steps away huddled in conversation. Oliver didn’t look back. Why would he, when what was in front of him was everything he needed.


End file.
